


Things Can Always Get Worse

by Anna_AI_v1



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-03-13 17:23:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 28,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18945469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anna_AI_v1/pseuds/Anna_AI_v1
Summary: Officer Diana Hart is not very pleased with the news of her promotion. Becoming a detective may include a pay raise, but it also comes with new responsibilities she's not sure that she can deal with. Naturally, the mayor doesn't give her much of a choice. After all, it's not like anything ever happens in Wayhaven.





	1. New Titles and New Faces

**Author's Note:**

> This is my take on the Wayhaven Chronicles. It contains a lot more... pessimism (not sad though), I suppose, and mostly non-canon scenes. Most of the characters and the story itself belong to Mishka Jenkins, I am merely adjusting it to my tastes. The story takes place during and after book 1. Spoilers ahead, obviously. I've decided to share this to make the wait for book 2 bearable (for myself). Some of you may even like this story. Who knows? :D   
> Thank you for reading. (And yes, I'm starved for approval/criticism).

Tina's apartment was cast in the dim light of the TV and filled with easy jazz music. The table was covered in all sorts of snacks and a couple of beer bottles, most of them untouched. All in all, it was the perfect setting for a relaxing movie night. However, the laid-back atmosphere did nothing to calm down the agitated woman pacing in front of the TV.   

"You know, this isn't the end of the world, right?"

The woman scoffed, hands raking through messy auburn waves. "Easy for you to say. You're not the scapegoat in this story."

"Oh come on, Diana. You're getting a _promotion._ "

"I don't want the damn promotion. I wanna keep doing my job in peace. Shit! " The detective-to-be exclaimed as her knee rammed into the edge of the coffee table, toppling over a couple of empty beer bottles.

"It's fine, it's fine, I'll clean it up." Tina scrambled to collect the bottles, watching as her friend gritted her teeth in pain and frustration.

As she tidied the table, Diana plopped onto the couch letting out a disheartened whine.

"I hate politics. I hate paperwork. And I love my current position."

"I think," Tina mumbled, brushing a few loose brown curls away from her eyes as she offered a beer. "They saw a hard working..."

Diana snorted. 

"...trustworthy officer..." Another snort. "And they saw her potential."

Tina sent her an exasperated look, putting the beverage back down. "Look. You're good at what you do, Diana. Of all the people in the precinct you're the best choice. I don't know why you're... This isn't because of what happened to...?"

"No."

"Then why not?"

"I don't want the responsibility of dealing with the mayor and his bullshit. I don't have the training for this."

"Training? For what? Signing papers? Don't be ridiculous. What's the worst that could happen? In Wayhaven of all places? Detective Reele has never had any problems even though she was drunk 24/7." Tina grinned and Diana smiled against her will.

It was Wayhaven, after all. Perhaps she was overthinking things.

***

"What's the worst that could happen?" Diana mocked her own naiveté as she pulled up to the crime scene. Where a _murder_  had happened. On her _first day._ "Fuck this shit." She murmured, not bothering to order the curious onlookers to move.

By the time she met with Tina, her mood had plummeted from worried and annoyed to pissed and horrified. The young officer picked up on it and gave her a gentle smile as she shooed the obnoxious landlord. They shared a look before the detective started moving towards the victim itself. Diana was in no hurry to reach Verda, her mind reeling with possibilities. What if the body was someone she had once known? In a small town that was very likely.

"Sorry this has to be your first case, Diana." Verda looked older, tired. 

"Yeah..."

The doctor spoke but her eyes and thoughts were locked onto the dead body. Not a body, a dead _girl._ Young too, from what she could see.  Verda seemed to sense that she was less than keen to prolong this, and turned the victim onto her back, speaking yet again. Diana didn't listen.

It looked almost fake. The young woman was clearly beaten, sliced, and abused, but when she looked at her, nothing screamed 'DEAD'. The decomposition hadn't set in yet and the victim appeared unconscious at most.

Diana clenched her jaw, grinding her teeth with bruising force, as if that could have removed the feeling of incompetence.

Her first day as the detective of Wayhaven and she had already failed this woman.

***

Detective Hart had never been a cheery person. In her experience, people were usually cruel and selfish. Her days as a rookie in the big city were full of men and women that had been ruined, just because someone more powerful, either physically or influentially, had seen themselves fit to abuse. Nonetheless, she had believed that small communities, such as Wayhaven, were slightly different. Sure, drugs and fights and alcohol induced property damage were still a thing, but she had never expected someone to take a life.  People knew each other here.  Protected each other.

Then again, the girl wasn't a local, so maybe Wayhaven wasn't as much of a haven to her as it was to the others.

Mulling things over, Diana walked around the warehouse, gun ready and her eyes twitching at the slightest rustle. The night was chilly and she could see her every exhale. She was rather calm, considering the circumstances. At least that's what she told herself, ignoring the apprehension breathing down her neck.

It wasn't any warmer inside the warehouse, so she placed the flashlight under her arm and moved to zip up the leather jacket. As soon as she glanced down, something moved in the periphery of her vision. It was but a gentle rustle and a strange shimmer but she could have sworn it was man-sized. Jacket forgotten, Diana aimed her gun at the darkness, the light illuminating the various types of junk piled around the place. 

Every single muscle was tensed in anticipation, her mind whirling with how to proceed. She considered calling for backup but that was out of question unless she wanted to humiliate herself. There was no guarantee that anyone was even in the warehouse. Or maybe those were just some noisy kids. Taking a deep breath, the red-head assured herself that she could handle some rowdy delinquents. As if scared by her arrogance, a flock of pigeons took off to her right, the flutter of their wings ripping through the air, and making her jump five feet, nearly pulling the trigger.

"Jesus fucking C-..." Before the sentence was even finished, another noise shattered the silence, this one coming from the pocket of her jeans.

Speaking to Verda hadn't helped her any and by the time she hung up, she felt like banging her head against the graffiti covered walls of the warehouse. 

"Nothing ever happens in Wayhaven, Diana. Take the position, Diana. You'll spend your days drinking coffee and looking pretty, Diana. " She whispered, rubbing her tired face. "It's not like people will start murdering each other as soon as you're promoted to Detective. Or injecting each other with diseased animal blood. "

She was half expecting a zombie apocalypse to break out by tomorrow.

Letting out a long sigh she moved around the building, checking all nooks and crannies. A few homeless people had their possessions scattered around the warehouse but otherwise there was nothing worth noticing. No rabid animals foaming at the mouth, no blood stained rooms or rotting body parts. All in all, she was feeling quite disappointed (and relieved) by the time she stepped back outside. Deep in thought, she didn't even realize what was happening before she landed on her ass, letting the flashlight and gun skid across the tiles, leaving her in pain, defenseless, and disoriented.

"What the hell?"

A figure loomed a few steps away, still as a statue but all the more menacing. Crawling backwards, Diana reached for her gun, breathing heavily through the aches and panic. The man looked huge from where she was. For a second she considered retreating, but then her inner voice just had to go and remind her of the fact that she was the _detective_ now. The man was a potential suspect. Strange as it was, the sense of duty made it easier.

With a finger on the cold metal trigger she felt brave enough to announce herself.

"I'm detective Hart with the police. I think you should come with me-"

Nothing else was spoken before a gust of wind blew some dirt in her eyes. Blinking back tears, Diana pointed the gun in the general direction of what sounded like a scuffle. By the time she refocused, her mute attacker was fighting another man, brutal punch after punch. A couple of seconds later,  the taller one _threw_  the other behind her car, crashing on top right after.

" _Shit!_ " Everything was happening so fast that Diana felt like she was stuck in a nightmare, moving in slow motion.

Next thing she knew, there were three more people standing near her beaten up vehicle, tense as they watched the fight unfold.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me," She muttered, as her aching muscles pulled her to a standing position, the gun barrel shifting between the newcomers. One of them seemed to hear her and turned, leaving her no choice but to try and get things under control. ' _Or get myself killed',_ she mused dryly.

"Everyone stop. I'm with the police." Her voiced carried far, making everyone turn. "And feeling twitchy, so don't test my trigger finger." She mumbled as an afterthought, barely audible to herself.

Someone laughed.

***

Detective Hart was cursing herself to death as she filed the report. Discharging a gun at an unknown civilian was, undoubtedly, the worst thing she could have done in that situation. _No, wait. I could have let them get away._

Groaning she banged her head against the table.

"This is a nightmare." She whispered, eyes on the dusty clock. "And I'll wake up any second now."

But the nightmare was more persistent than she was desperate, and the clock kept ticking in its natural rhythm. The silent beeping of Douglas's phone made it all the more annoying.

"Shouldn't have given it back," She mused, eyebrows scrunching into a frown.

Even Tina hadn't been able to cheer her up, her jokes and concern only irking the detective. So by the time Diana noticed the broken kettle, she was way past the breaking point.

"Motherfucking hell. How the fuck can everything go so wrong at the same fucking time." The detective groaned as she slapped the machine. Usually she was rather good with these things, but technology required patience and she was fresh out. "I swear to God, I'm fucking cursed."

A throat being cleared behind her reminded Diana that she was still in a public place and was not supposed to voice her thoughts in such a colourful manner.

And of all the people to hear her rant, it just had to be her _mother_.

***

Her mother was a creature of rules and ice. Rebecca Hart had always been an intelligent, rational, and strict woman in all aspects of her life. Growing under her had been like growing up in the police academy.  Granted, she was barely there, but when she was, nothing was good enough.  _'Things haven't changed,'_   Diana admitted as her mother took in the office with a barely concealed look of disapproval.

"So you're telling me that the mayor forced me into the role of a detective against all logic. Yet as soon as I actually need to _be_ one, he calls you of all people in? " Detective Hart couldn't quite hide the frost in her voice.

"It's not that we don't think you capable," Rebecca's posture was tense. "But we've been tracking him for a while and you could probably use the help, all things considered."

The office seemed smaller than it actually was. Diana considered just walking out, but it felt like a childish approach so she shifted in her seat, and tried to reason with the agent. The argument went on for a while, her justifications weak in comparison to her mother's logic. Eventually the detective gave in.

" _Fine_." She relented. It was one thing to defend her pride and a whole other thing to put the lives of the whole town at stake, just because she was too ashamed to admit her incompetence. "So what is it that you're offering?"

"My Unit."

Oh, now that was going to complicate things.

***

Her first impression of the team could have been summarised in three words: _Children with badges_.

The leader of the team, Agent du Mortain, was more like a commander than an agent. He clearly had the authority and the physical attributes to enforce it. What irked the detective most, though, was that he couldn't have cared less about the victim or collaborating with her. He was there to give orders and hunt down the suspect, consequences be damned. Diana had a distinct feeling that he would dangle her by the feet in front of the murderer if it got the case closed sooner. She wanted to slam the papers into his face and leave the station. The desire to do so was still as childish as it had been during her conversation with Rebecca. 

It didn't help her any that she was certain of his involvement in the fight outside of the warehouse, Rebecca's testimony be damned. If only she could get a sample of his DNA for analysis... Ignoring the thought she tried to reason that a bullet wound doesn't heal in less than 12 hours. 

The rest of the team were no better. Morgan was a woman of few words, but she could express herself in obscene behaviour better than anyone else Diana had ever seen. Which said a lot, considering her experience with rich teenagers.  Speaking of teenagers, Farah Hauville was just that. Even her dress code screamed _attention_. Sure, they may have been dressed in civil attire to merge in with the townsfolk, but Diana had a feeling that that was simply not the case.

Nathaniel Sewell was... different, she supposed. More collected and rational that the others. However, she could see him watching her, calculating what to say and how to say it, managing his voice and body language alike to smooth down her ruffled feathers. This meant that he was good at reading people, which left Diana uneasy. 

Verda's glances and sly smiles did nothing to calm her down as they discussed the autopsy findings. She was way past the phase where pretty faces distracted  her.

"You look troubled."  She noted when they were back in the office. The similarities between the blood found at the crime scene and the warehouse unnerved her, sure, but Nate's reaction was far more profound.

"As do you." Nate's voice was kind. "You don't like us being here, do you, detective?"

Pursing her lips, Diana tried not to relax at his gentle smile. Tried. The man was disarming.

"I can feel that you're holding things back, agent. And my job requires me to know all that I can." Her attempt at glaring fell flat when he chuckled.

"It's Nate, please. And I assure you, we will do all that we can to capture the... murderer." His deep brown eyes were gazing at her with an unfamiliar intensity. If she had to guess, he was curious.

She had to make him stop assessing her. He was not going to like what he saw.

"Would you mind getting me a cup of coffee? I think Tina had tinkered with the machine. "


	2. Things That Go Bump In The Night Like To Smoke

The night was cold and windy but Diana presumed that going out for a run served two very good purposes: in a way she was patrolling the town, and she didn't have to waste any more time pretending to sleep. The girl's face had kept flashing in front of her eyes and sleep had been filled with the corpses of people Diana knew, stacked in neat little rows and covered in blood. It left her feeling the weight of her new responsibilities all the more acutely.  

She circled around a few blocks before the hairs at the back of her neck rose. Someone was watching her. It was a gut instinct, yet she knew not to ignore it. During her time as an officer (and even before then, truly) it had served her to stop both suicides and assaults. Taking a few turns down the dark alleys of Wayhaven did not disperse the suspicion. She could feel her heart speed up in anticipation but the street lamps were mostly out and she couldn't see that far into the thick darkness. ' _Is it Bobby?'_  she considered, half hoping for an excuse to punch the man. He was known for following people around the town, desperate for a story. Normally, she treated him as politely as her patience allowed, however, he had been snooping around the station for weeks. With the murder case, he was bound to start annoying her.  She had had enough cases where people reported him for stalking, while she had still been an officer. Oh, how she missed those days. Now she would have to treat him as a detective, representative of the case. With respect.  

Another turn. The impression remained.

_'Then again, it could be the killer. '_

She had left her gun behind but the switchblade and a flacon of pepper spray were tucked in her sweater. She could have technically arrested whoever it was just for following her. Though it wouldn't have kept them behind bars. ' _We have the blood though. Might get a DNA sample for comparison.'_

Taking a deep breath, Diana turned towards a dead-end.

_'It's worth the risk.'_

By the time she entered the alley, her heart was beating too wildly to feel the separate beats. She reached for the blade, whipping around as soon as something fluttered nearby. The night was dark and  the only light was coming from the street lamps that shone a dull yellow in the distance. Yet it was enough to recognize the stranger, who was casually leaning against the wall. The strange woman was merely a few paces away from her terrified form, lighting a cigarette. 

"Agent Morgan?" The incredulity in her voice must have trickled to her expression because Morgan snickered.

"Don't you look all terrifying with your little butter knife."

Straightening up, Diana kept staring, suspicion overriding her initial surprise. "Why were you following me?" The woman merely shrugged.  "Where is the rest of the team?" Another shrug.

Diana's eyes narrowed. She could see the challenge in Morgan's eyes. She was being baited.

However, it was difficult to overlook the fact that Morgan was alone. Following her.  Suspiciously enough, her arrival had coincided with the first murder in Wayhaven. Her wolfish gaze seemed to pick up on her wariness and her lips curled around the cigarette in a smirk.

"Like what you see, detective?" Morgan sauntered closer, chuckling at the tense way the woman watched her. "Or are you afraid?" She all but purred, close enough that her breath ghosted across detective's face, visible in the chilly air.

Diana's hand tightened around the blade, but before she could answer, Morgan blew a cloud of smoke right into her face and turned away.

"Go home, detective Hart. The streets are not safe for little girls like you."

And with those infuriating words, Morgan turned the corner, leaving Diana alone and confused as hell . She would have chased her down had there been anything she could have accused the agent of. Cursing the whole situation she started jogging back home.

The feeling of being watched did not go away all the way back to the apartment block.

***

She greeted them with a frown that seemed to amuse Morgan to no end. Not that she let it show. Mostly. Unsure of how to interpret the whole situation she proceeded as if nothing had happened.

"Did you find anything at the warehouse?"

"Well, we thought-"

"No."

Adam's voice rang clear and Diana felt her eyebrow twitch. Were they trying to be subtle? Because it was anything but. Asking directly, however, was out of question.

"Very well."

The conversation carried on for a bit before Tina called her out to talk about Garret's disappearance. While her friend spoke, Diana's mind went back to the conversation. The team was keeping something from her. Their behaviour was bizarre. On top of that, Morgan had followed her last night. ' _Something is not right here.'_

***

"Time of death?"

"Judging by the temperature, muscle reaction, and the bruising, 12 to 24 hours. I'll know more after the autopsy." Verda looked sympathetic. "It's not your fault, Diana."

"You sure about that?" She growled. "Because I was out last night. I would have gone through this part of town if..."Her eyes snapped to Morgan, who was (surprise surprise) lighting another cigarette. This was a crime scene, for fuck's sake and she was littering her DNA all over it. "Are you sure about the 12 to 24 hours?"

"Yes. Why?" The doctor followed her gaze. "You think they might know something?"

Diana chewed her lip, looking at the members of the shady agency with mistrust. "I went jogging. One of them followed. " Her eyes turned to Verda. "They know more than they let on. "

"But they couldn't have been involved," Verda reminded her gently. "You were all back at the station till way past midnight. "

"I know, it's just..." Rubbing the back of her neck, she swallowed down a lump. "Never mind. I need to talk to them."

***

Adam's insistence for her not to go alone was suspicious. Despite her desire to strangle the man, Diana refrained from commenting. Kate was about to be notified that her son had died under gruesome circumstances and she had to think of that first. Nate seemed like the sensible choice.

As they drove in silence, she listened to the creaking of her car and tried to think of a way to ask Nate about Morgan. In the end, she decided against it.

***

When they returned to the car, Diana felt as if someone had ripped a hole in her chest.

"That was... tough."

"I didn't expect it to be easy," She admitted, brushing a loose auburn lock behind her ear. In the cloudy light of day it looked almost like rusted blood against her fingers.  It felt like an accusation. Trying not to look at Kate's sobbing form, she turned to Nate. "You ready to go?"

His smile was gentle and she found her coiled muscles relaxing. "Yeah." When she turned to open the car door, he added. "It's not your fault, detective. We'll find the murderer. "

She nodded, not fooling either of them.  Nate did not comment.

***

Adam watched the detective shift through the papers, the... seventh?... cup of coffee raised to her lips. The woman was clearly exhausted, her pale skin nearly greenish and the shadows around her eyes looked like bruises. She still kept going.

In that moment she looked more like Rebecca than he would have ever thought possible.

The past couple of days spent in the dusty office were a weird experience for the team. It was clear that Nate and Farah were growing fond of the detective, despite her prickly ways, while Morgan... well, Morgan was being herself. Nonetheless,  they were treading in dangerous waters. The detective was far more perceptive that he had anticipated. Adam hoped that this was going to be finished soon.

"Are you sure I cannot access the full case files?" Diana groaned, waving the redacted pages in front of herself. "Even the blood tests are _classified._ "

There was a question underneath the statement and he ground his teeth in exasperation. Had they been truly working on the case with detective Hart, he had a feeling that it would have been solved within a day. His orders, however, were to keep her away from the vampire. And the truth.

"No."

The glare was filled with ice and suspicion. His respect for the woman was equal to his agitation.

Yes, he truly wished to get this over with as soon as possible.

***

"So, Farah," Diana began, her fingers skimming through the papers, looking for the one marked as 'Toxicology report'. "How is the team settling in?"

"Oh you know, I make it tolerable," The smile she threw Diana was innocent and genuine. "Wouldn't mind going out to have some fun, though. Any good places you could recommend, detective?"

"Not really, though I suspect Morgan should be familiar with the town already."

"Yeah, she tends to..." Farah's eyes snapped to the woman at the table, realisation dawning on her within seconds. "You caught her, didn't you?"

"Caught her doing what, exactly?" Diana replied, a sly smirk curving her lips.

"Shit, if Adam finds out, he'll skin us." Her eyes were pleading. "You cannot tell him about that."

"Why not? Was she not under his orders?"

"Well yeah, but she wasn't meant to reveal herself. Shit. Please, detective?"

Diana pursed her lips, eyes narrowed. "Why does Adam have you guys following me?"

"It's... I'm not sure I should tell you." Farah's gaze slid between the door and Diana. Sensing her desire to flee the conversation, detective stood up and slowly walked towards the exit, leaning on the closest file cabinet.

"Farah? We are supposed to be working on this together, you know. "

Farah was not as carefree as she let on. She knew when she was being interrogated. The problem with her favourite detective, however, was that not answering the questions was almost as bad as answering them. She felt like a frog on a dissection table. ' _Adam is going to kill me.'_

"Well we're just...ugh... patrolling. You know, keeping the streets safe at night and all that."

"Really? Does the team do this often?"

"Not... quite?"

The detective's eyes flashed with predatory glee. Farah had given her an opening. The tension was thick in the air but before Diana could pull out the metaphorical scalpel, Nate opened the door, his eyes shifting between the two women in confusion.

"Nate! There you are." With more excitement than necessary, Farah skipped right past the detective to him. "Did you bring the Coco?"

"Of course," Nate gestured to the beverage in question but kept looking back and forth between them.

He could see the relief on Farah's face and the chagrin on Diana's. Adam had warned them not leave Farah alone with the detective for long but he had thought it an unnecessary precaution. Perhaps he had been wrong after all.

As soon as she had her drink, Farah skipped out into the station, her voice addressing Douglas in a flirty manner.  Letting out a long sigh Diana moved to take a cup for herself, thanking the agent.

It was the first time Nate thought of her as dangerous.

***

Adam watched the apartment in annoyance. They had managed to convince the detective to go home for the night (well, Nate had) but he had seen the stubborn glint in her eye. There was no doubt in his mind that she was going return to the station as soon as she changed clothes. The last 48 hours spent in the office with nothing to show for it had not discouraged the woman.  

Half an hour later he watched her exit the apartment, little past 2 a.m. To his surprise, the silver death trap drove right past the station. It was Adam's turn to watch her and he was aware of her nightly jogs. This time, however, she was in the old creaky car, driving towards the outskirts, in the direction of the... warehouse.

Teeth gritted in fury he watched the woman enter the building with a flashlight and a camera.

Adam pinched  the bridge of his nose and promised himself to speak to Agent Hart about removing the detective from the case entirely. He was starting to doubt his abilities to protect a woman foolish enough to do something like this. Yet he also felt uncomfortable. The detective was doing everything in her power to complete the case, fighting against their interference with inhuman perseverance. In a way, he was impressed. 


	3. Compliments and Concussions

Angry with the Mayor, angry with the team, and most of all, angry with herself, Diana slammed the door to her apartment with enough force to scare a local feline.  She had found no new leads on the case, despite working pretty much non-stop, and now she had to waste a whole night patrolling the streets.

Unit Bravo was tagging along, of course. She wasn't dense enough to overlook the fact that they were following her  _all the fucking time_. Frankly, she was surprised that she hadn't met one of them in the warehouse last night. They may have tailed her, though. However, the thought that her mother had ordered the team to protect her seemed far more ridiculous than the notion that they simply didn't trust her. Moving towards her car she sighed. She couldn't figure out their motives and that left them on shaky ground. Mistrust was not a good basis for working together. It didn't help that she was outnumbered by the four members of the team, their loyalty to her mother unquestionable. 

A couple of hours later the patrol was going relatively well. Unless she counted the cold which was severe and gnawed at her fingers. Granted, she couldn't feel them any longer.  It was nearing the end of their outing when she stepped into the Town's Square. Her eyes skimmed the darkness, hopeful to find a suspicious figure lurking nearby. Preferably with a written confession and the murder weapon. Letting out a silent laugh, Diana closed her eyes and pictured a tall man in a trench coat just walking towards her and begging to be placed behind bars.

"Is something the matter, detective?" Adam's voice startled her, louder in the cold silence than it was intended.

"Agent du Mortain? Where are the others?" Her gaze flashed around the empty area.

"They should be here any minute. And, detective?" He waited for her to catch his gaze. "You may call me Adam."

Surprised by the offer of such informality, Diana turned away, pulling her scarf tighter around herself.

Despite the fact that they were constantly at each other's throats, she had started to... respect the man. Her initial opinion of him changed when she saw just how  _efficient_  he could be, when it was his job. The few instances when he was asked to carry out a task had left her mildly surprised. He was still an asshole to everyone back at the station, though.  

"Have you seen anything?" He shook his head. "Right. Wouldn't tell me even if you did. " Adam lifted his eyebrows in question.

"We are not lying to you, detective."

"Aren't you, though? You're certainly keeping things from me. I'm not stupid, Adam." Her glare was met head on, icy green eyes clashing with deep blue.

"I... We, as a team, tell you what we can. " His voice was deep and verged on apologetic.

Something about that made her swallow the next remark. Silence stretched on between them, and Adam turned away, a frown on his face.

"Tell me, detective, how did someone so... young... become a detective so quickly?"

She couldn't help it. She laughed. It was filled with self depreciation and shame. But she told him anyway.  "Detective Reele was retiring. The police captain and the mayor decided that I was best to replace her. " 

She expected a nod. Or a smirk. Her promotion had been absurd.

 "I'm surprised. You are far more competent than most detectives I've met."

Diana's mind just stopped working. Was he being sarcastic? Was he hoping that complimenting her would lower her defenses? When she looked at him, however, his stoic features were warm. Genuine. She could read no deception in them.

"I, ugh..." She cleared her throat. "Thank you. I appreciate that. "

With a final nod they both turned to watch the streets again. Diana was trying her best to pretend that the compliment had had no effect on her, while Adam fought a smile. Hiding it underneath a frown, which sat far more comfortably on his face, he glanced at the detective one more time before suggesting that they seek out the others.

They didn't make it far before Adam sensed the other vampire, the unfamiliar presence making his insides curl. Diana stopped abruptly, following his intense gaze, confusion clear in her eyes. In the back of his mind, he made a note to watch his body language more carefully, she was relatively good at reading him. 

"What is it?"

"I don't know."

She felt the tension rolling off of him in waves but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Adam, however, seemed certain that something was amiss.  His gaze furrowed when he turned to her. It may have been threatening if not for the concern in his expression. Something was very wrong and she had no idea what to do. Her initial thought was that something might have happened to the team. Diana was never going to admit it, but the thought of any of them in danger stabbed into the gut with surprising force.

"Adam, we ne-" Her words were cut short.

"You must be cold." He snapped. Too shocked to say anything in response, Diana just stared as he shrugged off his coat and threw it on her shoulders. His eyes turned to the darkness and the invisible adversary.

Crossing her arms, Diana observed as the tension slowly drained from Adam. He seemed to be certain that some crisis had just been averted. By the time his gaze snapped back to her, she was glaring. Adam's eyes crawled up to her face, taking in the sight of her enveloped in his coat, by his scent. His throat constricted. 

"What the hell was that... about?" Her voice trailed off as their eyes locked.

It took a moment to notice that there was barely a foot between the two of them.   Diana could feel her pulse quicken as she tried to step away, yet Adam's grip on the coat tightened, keeping her in place, while his eyes roamed her face. He seemed confused by his own actions even more so than she was. Terrified of the heat sparking between them, Diana cleared her throat.  

"Adam-..." Her voice sounded unsure. The implications made her uncomfortable.

For the first time in weeks Diana rejoiced at the interruption. Farah, always with her perfect timing, approached them with a cheerful gait. "There you guys are!"

Adam watched the detective struggle out his coat, his fingers aching with an unfamiliar need. He had not meant to pull her close. Writing it off as just part of his job, he retrieved the coat, not acknowledging the fact that her scent was going to linger for days. 

Diana shook her head. What has gotten into her? Him? This was her colleague. They were chasing a murderer. Not re-enacting a fucking romance novel.

"Let's call it a night. "  _'Cause I'm not lucid enough to deal with things like this.'_

_***_

Diana sat on the bed in the middle of her mother's workplace with a blank stare.

There were bruises on her neck still, a clear reminder of their fight with the thralls.  _'Thralls_ ,' The thought seemed ridiculous.  _'And vampires, of course. Because a murderous psycho in Wayhaven right after I was handed the town's safety was not enough. Things just had to get worse. What's next? I have an arranged marriage with a leprechaun?'_.

The team were watching her expectantly. Rebecca, meanwhile, wore a stern expression, her gaze analytical. Diana had a sinking suspicion that her mother was using these news to test her.

 "The weird blood?" She had to check.

"Vampire in origin." Made sense. Which also meant that the killer was most likely a vampire themselves.

"Ah..." Gently touching the bump on her head, Diana looked at each member of the team in turn.

She was not going to accept it instantly, but that did explain a couple of things.

***

Despite her injuries, Diana did not spend the night in her room. She roamed the halls of the agency  and more than once Nate watched her stumble to an abrupt stop, wincing at the lights. He desperately wanted to reach out and help but he was afraid that she would not accept his aid. Especially not after her conversation with Morgan and Farah.

They had all watched her working like mad trying to find the murderer. Each member of Unit Bravo had followed the detective as she ventured to the darkest parts of Wayhaven to question the homeless and the intoxicated, to warn the working girls, to review the scene of the crime and the surrounding area. She had even counted on them in some cases, whether to deliver documents or to search certain areas.  When they had told her that the whole time their mission had been to  _interfere_  with her efforts...

Nate watched her slide down the wall, her face scrunched up in pain and it echoed in him. There was no force on earth that could have prevented him from going to help.

"Detective, is everything okay?"

Diana's gaze snapped to him so fast that it almost made her hurl. Nate stood a few feet away, his expression and body language conveying sympathy. She gritted her teeth in pain and fought yet another wave of dizziness and nausea. Her legs wobbled but she stood with her back straight.  

"I'm fine, agent." She sounded cold and angry.  When Nate grimaced and took a step forward, she raised a hand to stop him. "I  _said_ I'm fine."

"You can barely stand, please let me help you." He sounded unsure yet gentle.

"Help me? You mean like you helped me catch the killer before he butchered Garret?" Anger was a great antiemetic. She stepped forward. "Remember his mother? Weeping for a child that's dead because of you and your  _orders_?" Diana's face was screwed up in both hatred and agony. Nate looked away, the guilty frown marring his gentle features. "How many others were meant to die before you actually did anything?"

"We were looking for Murphy," Nate replied, his brown eyes seeking forgiveness. "Every night. We went on patrols and searched the abandoned places for any sign of him."

"How did that go, hm?" Diana pushed against the man, surprise making him sway. "Is Murphy somewhere in those cells?" Another push. This time Nate caught her hands.  Her pupils were unnaturally wide."IS HE?"

"Detective, I think we should go to a doctor..."

"They almost killed Douglas,  _Nate._ " She continued her slurred rant, the ringing in her ears drowning out whatever the man in front of her was saying. Everything spun when she pushed again and she was no longer certain of what was coming out of her mouth. "Would that have been enough for Rebecca?"

"Detective..." Nate shook her fists, worry and guilt painting his features. "We never meant for anyone to get hurt. "

Swaying on her feet, Diana looked at the man with wide eyes brimming with tears, shaking from head to toe. In all the time that they had worked together, Nate had never seen her look as vulnerable as she did then in his arms. And then she laughed.  It was a delicate yet broken sound.

"I  _knew_ that you were keeping things from me. And I allowed it. " She tried to pull away. " You know what pisses me the most? A good detective would have solved the case with or without your interference. Yet I couldn't. I would love to blame you and the fucking Agency but the truth is... the truth is that  _I_  failed Garret.   _I..._  failed the town. "

As if that admission took the last of her strength, the detective crumbled to the ground.

His heart broke as he heard her mutter ' _I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry._ ' over and over again.

***

Hours later Diana woke up back in the hospital bed, unaware of what had transpired after she had gone to sleep in the assigned guest room. The nurse was kind enough to inform her that Nate had found her wandering the halls and brought her in. Apparently it was normal to forget things due to a concussion.

When Rebecca entered the room, she braced herself for even more bad news.


	4. How Not To Talk To Vampires

Diana’s decision to do the tests had been based on the fact that the doctors had already taken plenty of blood samples and nothing she could have done would have stopped them. This way she expected to be kept in the loop. Hopefully.

She was concluding a treadmill test by the time Farah wandered into the gym. The past few days had been… tense. Diana had avoided the team, and they had seemed to understand her need for space. There were things that needed to be said, however, she wanted her head to work properly for that.

"Fancy meeting you here, detective," The young vampire waved a hello at the physician supervising Diana's progress. "Think you can spare a minute?"

The stopwatch beeped, signalling the end of their session, and she hopped off the treadmill, sweat beading her brown. She could have said no. Farah was clearly as uncertain about this as she was, however, it would have been unprofessional. Especially considering the gnawing suspicion that they were going to continue working together.

"Sure, let me take a quick shower. I'll meet you in the common room?"

"Oh thank God, I don't mean to offend, but you stink, detective." Seeing the look on her face, Farah was quick to apologize. "Sorry, it's true, though. " On not.

Fighting a smile, Diana nodded at the doctor and walked towards the showers. Truth be told, she took far longer than necessary, nurturing a dim hope that Farah was going to lose patience and forget their talk altogether. However, when she walked into the room to see Farah lounging on the couch that hope was brutally crushed.

"Detective!" The vampire straightened her back, a forced smile gracing her beautiful face.

"Farah." Diana nodded, arms crossed and hip cocked. "What is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"That, right... Look, detective," she spoke in an unnaturally serious manner, brows furrowed. "I know things have been... tough. I can only imagine what you're going through. But... you can trust us, you know?"

 _'Patience'_ , Diana told herself. _'She's being nice'._

"I want to, Farah. I do. But you lied to me. You hid things and hindered my progress, which placed a lot of people in danger." Running a hand through her wet hair, which hung limp past her shoulders, Diana began to pace. "I cannot overlook this."

"I know, I know," The woman pouted. "But could you maybe.... try?" Diana scoffed.

"What is it that you expect me to do? Make BFF bracelets for the team?" Just the mental image of Morgan wearing one brought a smile to her face.

Farah laughed, her amber eyes glinting in the warm dim light above them. "That would be interesting, yeah, but that's not what I mean. " Standing up to face the detective, she placed her hands on her hips. "What I'm trying to say, talk to them. Nate's been going mad with guilt and Adam has locked himself in his room doing God-knows-what. Even Morgan is grumpier than usual. "

"Morgan's always grumpy, how can you even tell the difference?" Diana smirked but quickly turned away to hide her face, clearing her throat. She was letting her guard down too soon. Again.

Startled by a mahogany coloured hand on her shoulder, she turned to see that Farah had stepped closer, her eyes kind. She truly was both beautiful and sincere, her entire being made of warmth, it seemed. The young woman awakened a protective instinct in Diana, because so few maintained such unadulterated desire to spread joy, to cherish everyday, to help... It was nearly impossible to imagine Farah holding a grudge, wallowing in sadness. Life was meant to be lived, not endured.  

"We wanted to tell you. And we were doing our best to catch Murphy. Sure, we tried to keep you away from any clues..."  Diana glared. "But we had to. Sometimes you get orders that you don't agree with but they're still orders, detective." The corners of her mouth were uncharacteristically low.

Sighing, Diana nodded. She knew what Farah meant far too well, not that she wished to dwell on it. "Very well, I'll talk to them, okay?" The vampire nodded enthusiastically, earrings bouncing with her dark curls.  "But I'm not promising anything!"

"Right right." Farah looked away for a second before turning back towards the detective. "Peace hug?"

"No."

"Please?" Pout.

"No."

"Pretty please with Murphy's head on top?"

She couldn't help it, Diana laughed. Farah, being the crafty little minx that she was, took advantage of it and squeezed the woman in a tight grip.

"Everything will be okay, detective. After all, you have us."

***

She stood in front of Adam's door, chewing her lip. Sure she had promised to talk to the team. And yes, the team leader was the best place to start. Didn't mean that it was going to be easy.  Counting the imperfections of the green paint coating the door, Diana tried to even her breathing and slow down her thoughts. Her hand tugged at the still damp hair, pushing the auburn locks away from her face.

Taking a deep breath in, the detective stepped forward, ignoring the flutter of her heart. _'We will discuss the situation like professionals, and, hopefully, we will come to a mutually beneficial arrangement.'_

The door opened of its own volition.

"Something you need, detective?" His eyes conveyed uncertainty. With a start Diana realized that Adam was expecting a fight.

"I was just checking in," His shoulders relaxed a bit. "To clear the air with everything that's happened."

"That is unnecessary. I thought you were busy with the tests?"

"I am." She frowned.

He spoke after a moment of hesitation. "Then at least now you can be useful."

After mentally counting to ten, Diana gritted her teeth for a few more seconds to refrain from asking if the tree up his ass had finally borne fruit. She had a hunch that he was pushing her buttons to keep her at a distance. Knowing that, however, did little to quell the fury. A chill seemed to seep into her back, while she watched him look at her with those icy eyes. 

"That’s because during the whole time that you have known me I just sat around with my thumb up my ass, right?" Her eyes narrowed in challenge.

He appeared to consider for a few seconds. Then his shoulders squared, jaw clenched and eyebrows furrowed, sending a clear message that he wanted her _to go away._  

"I am merely being honest. Working with a human has and will continue to slow us down." He had a look of practiced superiority, much like the one he had worn during their first meeting.

She could feel that her plans to stay civil and treat him as a colleague were packing their bags and buying a plane ticket. Shouldering past the man, Diana stepped into his room, preferring to have the screaming contest behind closed doors. The man moved out of the way easily, with a slight push.  Then he turned to her slowly, surprise replaced with hostility.

"You should leave, detective. This is hardly appropriate." The doors closed with a silent click. Thinking back to this moment, Diana would realize that being alone with a vampire behind closed doors should have terrified her, but right then she couldn't have given a damn. The thought that she was standing in a bedroom, barely an arm's width away from a very attractive man, was discarded faster than it could form. 

"No. This has been a long time coming." She surveyed the room, relatively the same as the one assigned to her. "I detest your attitude towards me and this case. People's lives are at stake, and I am doing everything in my power to solve it. You, however," she poked him in the chest. "Have been undermining my authority, interfering with my work,..."

"Detective, you are way out of-" If looks could kill, she would have been dead by now. It didn't matter.

"Don't patronize me, Adam. I'm not here to listen to your insults. I'm here to set one thing straight. If we are to continue working together, you," Another poke. "And your team need to pull your shit together and start cooperating with me. I may not have the abilities that vampires possess, or your experience chasing down deranged murderers, but I am responsible for the safety of Wayhaven. I know the town and its people.  I can _help_. "

Adam grasped the hand that had poked him and watched in a slight daze. The detective was furious, he could tell. And for some inexplicable reason that was a stunning sight. He listened to her speech, mesmerized by the way the auburn waves danced in front of her piercing blue eyes. Fingers ached with the need to brush them away. It took him a moment to notice that she had stopped talking.

"What is it that you expect from me, detective?" Diana pulled her hand away from his, skin burning.

"I expect you to agree that catching Murphy takes priority over our differences or my safety."

"My orders are..."

"For fuck's sake, Adam. If you agree to work together, there won't _be_ a need to survey my every move or tail me at night. I’ll be stuck to your side solving a murder." His eyebrows rose at that. "But I need your word that no matter what happens, you'll do everything in your power to apprehend Murphy."

They watched each other in silence. A picture of the detective in a body bag made his heart clench, yet he ignore it. 

"I won't disobey Agent Hart or the Agency." 

"That's not what I'm asking." 

"I don't have to promise you anything," He crossed his arms, towering over the woman a few feet away.

"You do if you want to do your job. Trust me, I can make it a pain in the ass." Adam's lips thinned at the memory of her traipsing through the crumbling warehouse in the middle of the night. "I'm not saying disobey your superiors, I'm saying stop interfering with the case and work with me to capture the murderer."

Despite his inclination to deny her request, Adam had to admit that guarding her was not going to be easy without her cooperation. Moreover, removing the threat would serve to protect the detective. The dilemma left him troubled. The Agency had told him that Murphy's arrest was the primary objective, but he had no desire to disappoint Agent Hart. Finally, he nodded.

"...fine. I'll prioritize Murphy's capture."

"Then we have a deal," Diana nodded, the tension draining from her shoulders. "I'll consent to Rebecca's arranged protection detail, but from tomorrow on, we work on this case as equals. "

Adam nodded yet again, holding his breath. Their argument had brought them closer in a sealed environment and her scent was swirling around the room like a finely crafted perfume. Motioning towards the door, the detective waited for him to step away before offering a strained smile and leaving.

When her footsteps faded, Adam banged his head against the door in frustration. Maybe he could still compel Agent Hart to keep the detective contained in the facility? His chances were slim but a man could hope.

***

 

Diana was walking towards one of the labs when she noticed Morgan. It was far too late to wander the halls without a purpose and that made her all the more curious. After the little confrontation between her and Adam, she had spoken to Nate and Farah, however, Morgan had kept to herself and Diana had a feeling that disturbing her was not going to win her any favours. The fact that she just happened to bump into the grumpy woman was suspicious at best.

Sensing her approach the vampire turned to face her with a frown. There was a strange glint in her wolfish gaze.

Diana stopped a bit further than necessary.

“Morgan.” She said in a way of greeting.

“Detective.” The vampire smirked, one hand playing with her lighter.

They stared at each other for a bit, neither willing to start whatever it was that the vampire had planned. Finally, Morgan scoffed, rubbing the back of her neck in agitation.

“Look, detective, this shit with Murphy… I couldn’t give a rat’s ass about what happens to you or your precious little humans.” Diana’s lips thinned in anger. “Fucking hell, I don’t even care about Murphy.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Because they are!” She snarled, gesturing in the general direction of the guest rooms. “So listen to me closely, sweetheart.” Her eyes narrowed as she stepped closer, the scent of sandalwood and smoke swirling around the detective. “If you think that you can just fucking stroll in and become part of the team, you’re fucking wrong. ”

“Right,” Diana said dryly. “I’m not a big scary vampire, so I can’t do shit.”

“What the fuck do you even know about solving crimes. You’ve been a detective for what? A fucking week?” The smirk on Morgan’s face was mocking. The strange look in her eyes remained.

The other woman took a step back, the vampire’s words hitting a bit too close to her insecurities, though she had a feeling of being played with. Morgan’s grin widened at the tiny victory.

“I’m still the detective in charge of this case. Like it or not.”

“We’ll see how long this lasts.” The vampire seemed to know something that she didn’t.

“What the hell is your problem, seriously? Why do you hate me so much?” Diana’s tone was icy. She was not playing nice anymore.

“Why wouldn’t I? We’re stuck in this shithole of a town because of you.”

“Is that it or are you just angry that Farah seems to spend more time with me than you?” It was a complete shot in the dark. Diana had noticed Morgan’s increased scowling whenever Farah approached her back at the station, but had thought nothing of it. Until now.

The vampire recoiled. She hadn’t expected the detective to pick up on that.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” The red-head smirked, her eyes predatory. “Thing is, _sweetheart_ , I could invite her into my bedroom and there would be no-”

With what sounded suspiciously like a growl, Morgan grabbed the detective by her collar and slammed her against the nearby wall, her lips pulled back in a snarl. There wasn't much force behind the act and even her body language did not seem as enraged as the vampire tried to covey. The situation was bizarre at best.

“My my, what big hands you have.” Diana mocked.

“All the better to strangle you with, my dear.” Morgan purred angrily in return, her nose brushing against the woman’s neck.

The severity of the situation dawned on the detective when she felt Morgan’s teeth graze the skin right above her pulse. Calling for help was out of question, seeing as her jugular would have been on the floor by the time she opened her mouth. Surprisingly enough, considering the situation, she wasn’t worried. Diana’s anger abated as she grasped Morgan’s upper arms, her fingers steady. The entire thing had undoubtedly startled her. It was one thing to hear that they were vampires and quite another to see it first-hand. Yet she was not frightened.

“Morgan...”

“Say the line, sweetheart.” The vampire’s breath ghosted against her throat, a smirk in her voice. Diana was confused for a second. Then, against all odds, she laughed.

“And what big teeth you have.”

Morgan’s fangs grazed along the curve of her neck, sending shivers all the way to her toes. It was surprisingly… erotic. She almost felt disappointed that her other discussion had not gone this way. Diana pushed that thought deep _deep_ down.

“All the better to eat you with, my dear.”

The vampire pulled away, her stormy grey eyes dark with challenge. Diana watched her curiously, the unease forgotten. “There’s nothing going on between me and Farah.”

A scoff. “I’m not fucking stupid. I know.”

“Then why…?”

Morgan’s smirk was mocking once more. Shrugging, the woman pushed away from the wall.

“Testing a theory.”

“What kind of theory, exactly?” Diana’s brow furrowed.

Picking up the discarded lighter, Morgan turned to look the detective in the eye.

“For all your bullshit about not trusting us, you sure don’t act it.”

Diana’s frown deepened. “That’s what this was about?” A setup to see whether she felt threatened by her?

Another shrug.

“Want a piece of advice? Don’t piss me off. And if you get any of them hurt, I won’t hesitate to rip your throat out.”

And with those pleasant words (for some reason filled with approval), Morgan spun on her heel and walked away as if nothing had happened.


	5. And Now We Wait

"With the doctor's approval, Diana will return to working on the case, and Unit Bravo are officially assigned to her protection until this is over. You will continue to work together to catch Murphy, but Diana cannot go near him." Agent Hart looked older than she really was and her expression was positively wintry. It was clearly an order.

The detective looked at Adam, her jaw tight. Judging by Rebecca's choice of words, he had spoken to her about their little agreement. She knew that to him orders came before all else. He wore a stoic expression - a good little soldier.  Her gaze travelled to the rest of the team. Nate seemed supportive, as usual, and gave Diana a kind (if apologetic) smile. Farah just shrugged sheepishly, while Morgan.... The detective avoided her smirk. It reminded her of their bizarre confrontation. Diana still felt ashamed for having taken the bait. She was supposed to be a professional, goddammit. Turning back to Rebecca, the detective crossed her arms.

"You can command them, but you don't command me." Agent Hart observed her for a few seconds.

"No, I don't. But they'll be following you along as ordered, so you might as well make use of them while they're around." Diana knew that tone far too well. Nothing she could have said was going to change her mind. Rebecca's implications that she as the leading investigator was not necessary did not slip past her.

She left the room without another word.

***

Nate found her pouring over the files (actual files this time) in the cafeteria.

"May I join you, detective?" He gestured to the chair sitting opposite of her.

She glanced up, lips pressed into a tight line. The vampire looked kind as he always did, but she was in a rather foul mood and had no intentions of taking it out on him.

"I'm not sure that it's a good idea, agent." Smiling sadly at the title, the man sat down anyway.

"I understand that you're angry, but this is truly for the best." He reached out, fingers grazing the papers scattered around the lukewarm cup of coffee. "The man you're after is dangerous. Far more so than your average murderer." Picking up a folder he glanced at the date on it and pushed it towards the detective. "We're not the first team to be sent after him."

Diana opened the folder, eyes skimming through the autopsy reports. A team of demons (various subspecies of demons, that meant nothing to her, were listed near each member) had been killed a couple of weeks ago. The photos of the crime scene were gruesome, more so than Garret's or Janet’s had been. Murphy had literally ripped them to shreds. The forensic scientists had had to run DNA tests on some tissues to assign them to the right corpse.

They had been butchered, mutilated beyond recognition. Two of them had had a family.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." She glanced up at Nate, who was watching her sadly.

"And I am sorry that you do now. " He leaned forward, brown eyes intense. "No one doubts your ability to find Murphy, detective." She looked away, jaw tight. "I am not lying to you. We all saw you work day and night. Even Adam was impressed by your dedication." He offered a gentle smile at the raised eyebrow.

"I find that very hard to believe."

"I have a feeling that, much to his irritation, he has grown to respect you, detective."

Placing the files back on the table, Diana picked up her mug, taking a sip of the bitter beverage.

"I am also growing to… trust the team." She admitted, albeit unwillingly. Morgan's provocation had made her realize that she had grown to respect and trust Unit Bravo (to some extent at least), despite her rational side refusing to admit it. "This doesn't mean that I want to stay in my apartment, hiding from my duties."

Nate chuckled, the tension leaving his shoulders.

"No one is expecting you to hide. We'll work together, as you had suggested to Adam. All I ask is that you do not reject our protection."

Diana paused at that. "Does that mean that he will keep his promise?"

"I suspect so." His brows scrunched up in thought. "Adam takes his promises seriously."

"That's good to know." She took a minute to arrange her thoughts before speaking. "Thank you.”

The warmth within his smile startled her. “You’re very welcome, detective.” He softly grazed her fingers with the tips of his own, sending warmth all the way to her chest.

***

Returning to work had been a stressful ordeal. Diana had never liked lying and speaking to the newly enamoured Douglas and a rather suspicious Tina was similar to walking through a minefield. However, after a couple of days spent catching up to paperwork and actually searching for Murphy, she started feeling more like herself.

A new problem had manifested, however. Agent Sewell, as she insisted on calling him now, had been acting overfamiliar. Worst of all, she couldn't deny that some weaker part of her  _liked_  the attention and the gentle touches (nothing indecent really, just a pat on the shoulder or a gentle grasp at the elbow) _._ He offered comfort and kind words, which had been so rare in her life, and she knew it was chipping at her mental walls bit by bit. She liked her shields. They kept her heart safe and cold. Bad things happened when Diana grew attached to people.  Therefore, in her mind it was a logical solution to avoid him as one would avoid the plague. It didn’t go unnoticed by the team, but instead of calling her out on it, they merely adjusted to her strange requirements not to be left alone with Nate.

The man in question seemed dismayed yet remained kind and patient.

The case itself was progressing smoothly, which meant not progressing at all. Despite her promise to behave, she had snuck out to patrol the streets a few times, in hopes of luring the murderer into the open. That hadn’t worked so well seeing as Morgan had heard her each and every time. In most cases, the agent hadn't bothered to mention this to the others. However, she had followed Diana (or as she explained it, 'went out for a smoke') and that had been a rather big giveaway. After a few lectures from Adam, the desperate patrols stopped.

It was a week later that things went to shit. Another young girl went missing, her description matching Diana’s to a T. Simone Williams was younger, 19 years old, yet of average height, a redhead, her features similar to the detective's. They could have been sisters based on their looks.

It felt like a nightmare come true. 

The team watched her pace and call volunteers for hours before she looked like she was about to collapse from sheer stress. Nate had a hunch that the situation with Simone Williams may not have been the only factor, there had to be a personal reason why this rattled the detective so, yet the moment he questioned her reaction, Diana sent him away. Her desperation kept rising and Nate's questions were not helping.

“I don’t care about staying safe, Adam. I need to be out there, looking for her!” Nate and Farah were already searching most of the known warehouses and abandoned buildings but it wasn’t _enough_.

“Detective, this is not the time to be rash. We’re not even sure if Murphy’s involved.”

His eyes were cold and his stance unyielding. She knew that he was not going to agree, no matter how frenzied she felt. But that picture on her desk had her replaying the worst memory in her life, and she couldn’t just sit and do nothing.

“Then what do we do?” She growled, hands raking through the bun that was almost completely loose. “I’m won’t let her die just because you were too scared to break your damn orders.”

“And what do you expect to do once you find Murphy?” Morgan’s interruption was a surprise. “Bore him to death with your whining?”

“I’ll arrest him.”

“How?” Morgan flashed in front of the detective, the photo of the missing girl in her grasp. “Can you match the speed or the strength of a vampire?” Diana went for the photo, only to be stopped by the woman, her grip unshakable. Morgan’s breath was on her face. “You’d be dead by now had I been Murphy.”

“Morgan, release her.” The leader spoke softly.

“There’s nothing you can do, detective. Not against a vampire. Accept it.” Morgan threw the photo and returned to her original place against in the corner of the office.

Diana stood unmoving, her eyes fixed on the photo. “I can’t fail this girl, not…. Not again.” Her distressed gaze turned to Morgan who gave the other vampire a meaningful look.

“Fine. We’ll go looking.” Adam’s spoke, his shoulders hunched. “As long as you promise-...” His phone started beeping, cutting the conversation off.

Diana watched him pick it up, his face contorting in a frown. Adam listened for a few seconds, eyes never leaving the woman. He could sense her heart racing in trepidation. 

Hanging up he finally relayed the news. “They have found her. It wasn’t Murphy.”

The detective collapsed into her seat in relief.

***

That had been the wake up call that she needed. The girl may have been found but the message that she was helpless against the man she was supposed to stop had reached her brain at last. Once the last member of Unit Bravo had left to deal with the aftermath of a thrall attacking a civilian, Diana knew that she had to make the call.

The detective took out the burner phone hidden behind Morgan’s favourite cabinet and dialled the number she knew by heart. It went to voicemail.

Her voice was shaky as she spoke.

"Listen, Luke, this is Diana... Look, I'm not even sure if you’ll get this... But I could really use some help right now. Please call me back. It’s… it may be urgent."

***

A few days passed after the events with no news from Luke. Diana went back to signing papers and telling Douglas to stop playing with his phone, but nothing really helped to ease the tension that was hanging in the air. The one thing that had changed for the better was her view of the team. She was far less guarded around them now. And it showed in ways that she couldn't perceive.

Back in the detective’s apartment Adam stood by the window, him mind running over the human girl's altercation with the thrall. Her apartment was rather dark during the day and even more so at night. He had suspected that she preferred the solace of darkness and silence. However, everything about the decor was practical. There were very few unnecessary trinkets that stood on the shelves and merely one houseplant. If he had to guess, those were gifts from officer Poname and the rest of her acquaintances. She had briefly mentioned a few friends back in the city that had visited during Christmas. As usual, she was reading reports and finishing the paperwork that the station had had prepared for her return. He turned to Diana, intent on asking her a question about what she had said back then, but it fled as soon as he saw her. In the rather gloomy and empty apartment, Diana sat illuminated by a desk lamp,  it’s soft light making her pale skin glow with warmth. 

A simpler man would have seen a tired young workaholic. Yet Adam’s gaze took in the dishevelled auburn hair, haphazardly styled into a loose braid, the pale shoulder peeking from the soft light sweater, the gentle tapping of her finger against the cup of coffee, and he felt like he couldn’t breathe. His mind desired something he wasn’t brave enough to recognize and it made him ache with longing for something that he couldn’t name. He stood by the window, enveloped by darkness and marvelled at the sight before him.

As if sensing his peril (or maybe he just stood there motionless long enough), Farah stepped into the room, carrying even more snacks from the kitchen.

“You sure are boring, detective,” The young woman exclaimed. “I’ve snooped through every corner of this apartment...besides the bedroom…. and there’s not a single interesting thing about it.”

The bedroom had been declared ‘Forbidden’ for the vampires the moment they had stepped through the door. The detective had been vehement about keeping that place private unless told otherwise. Farah wasn’t stupid enough to break the rule. Yet.

Not looking away from the documents, Diana moved her hand in a demanding manner and sighed. “That’s because the most interesting thing in this apartment is not hidden in some shadowy corner.” Her eyes moved to Farah, a challenging smile on her lips. “It’s hidden in plain sight.”

Gasping Farah shared a few of the gummy bears (bought specifically at Farah's behest) and looked around. Her enthusiasm renewed, she skipped off to examine the books, pulling them out in hopes of a secret passage. Diana laughed gently, her gaze turning to look at Adam.

Feeling like a deer caught in headlights he said the first thing that came to mind.

“You’re good at this. Dealing with Farah, I mean.”

Smiling she brushed a strand of hair behind the pale shell of her ear, and he could _feel_ her scent caressing his senses. When had she started smiling? At him?

“I’m told I’m rather good at dealing with kids. At least now, I suppose.” Her expression turned grim for a second and Adam found himself wondering as to what could have caused the change. Had she had children? Siblings? He wasn’t sure. Until nearly a couple of months ago, he hadn’t known that Rebecca had had children.

Diana looked at the report of a one thing or the other and sighed. Those were not the memories that she wanted to recall.

“I think I should turn in for the night.”

“That would be wise.” Then he could open a window and take a breath without feeling her overwhelming his senses.

“Well then, good night, Adam.” She gave a small smile that wretched something within. “Tell Farah not to break anything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, Chapter 5 marks the beginning of the romantic antics. Thank you for reading. Any feedback (both positive and negative) is highly appreciated. :)


	6. Help me, Luke. You’re My Only Hope.

Farah watched her target with narrowed eyes. Morgan’s affectionate name for officer Poname had stuck and the young vampire had to stop herself from calling out ‘bobblehead’.

“Officer Poname?” Turning her charm full on, Farah smiled at the brunette, her amber gaze melting the woman on the spot.

“Uh, agent? How… How may I help you?” Tina picked up the stacks of papers from a chair nearby, the invitation clear.

“See, officer, that whole situation with the Williams girl had us really worried about our favourite detective.”

Tina sighed, her awkward demeanour shifting to a sad droop of shoulders.

“You noticed huh? It’s… personal… I don’t think I’m the best person to talk about it. ”

“Please?” Farah placed her hand on the officer’s forearm, eyelashes fluttering. “Maybe we could help?”

Another sigh. “I guess you might as well know this, since the whole town already does. Diana used to have a younger sister...”

“Used to?”

“Yes. I don’t know the details but, while she was still in college, her sister came to visit and see the big city. A few days later she went missing.”

Farah’s eyes were big and filled with horror.“And she’s still missing…?”

“...no. She’s...” Tina swallowed the lump in her throat. “...not missing any more, no.”

Heavy silence descended on the two women. Farah gave the officer another of her smiles, though it looked forced. Normally, she would have pried, but something stopped her.

“I guess Simone’s disappearance… it was like reliving the whole thing again. ”  With a heavy sigh, the young woman look at the office, where Diana was speaking to Adam, angrily gesturing at something on her table. “Anyway, that’s all I know. It’s good that you were able to find the girl.”

“Thank you, officer.” Farah nodded, her mind fussing over the new information. It finally made sense why there wasn’t a single personal photo anywhere in the detective’s apartment.

“It’s okay, agent. You may call me Tina.”

Grinning, this time for real, the vampire picked up the woman's hand and brought it in for a kiss.

“Then you may call me Farah.”

 

***

 

She stared at the phone accusingly, her fingers brushing over the buttons yet not dialling the number. Her relationship with Luke had been unusual at best, and their last talk had gone south  real fast. It had been years since the argument and the man did not own her any favours. Perhaps she was being naive, expecting him to call her back. And yet…

“Everything okay, detective?” Nate asked as he stepped into the living room.

Startled she dropped the phone back into the drawer and closed it promptly. “Yes, of course. Any news from the Agency?”

He watched Diana for a few seconds, as she slowed her breathing to decelerate the treacherous heartbeat. Farah had been kind enough to inform her that they could hear and sense far more than an average human could. Nate opened his mouth, about to ask her about the phone, but noting the tense set of her shoulders and the frown engraved into her skin, he decided otherwise.

“Rebecca wanted me to relay that they had found signs of Murphy at the sewers. Adam will be following the lead with Morgan.”

Nodding, she stood and stretched, her muscles protesting. Nate sat down and watched her, Farah’s words bouncing in his head.

“May I ask you a personal question, detective?”

Arms crossed, she leaned against the table, which was in poor shape after yet another one of Adam’s little tantrums (he had a penchant for destroying her furniture). He could see discomfort in her eyes, but she nodded for him to go ahead. Nate wanted to ask her dozens of things. The woman was a mystery wrapped in so much control that it gave him a headache. Deep down, he understood Morgan’s desire to challenge the detective. The sight of her losing control would surely be something to behold. Nonetheless, mostly he wanted to help. She was hurting, exhausted, and haunted by her past and responsibilities alike. With her guard up, however, he could do very little to ease her tensions.

“Are you afraid of us?”

The question hadn’t been expected. She knew about Tina’s conversation with Farah and was ready for Nate to ask about Dahlia’s murder. Perhaps he knew that she would refuse to talk about it, perhaps Rebecca had answered already. It still baffled her that the man would ask something relatively unimportant.

“Should I be?” She shrugged. “As far as I’m aware, none of you mean me any harm.” She stopped for a second. “Well, I’m not sure about Morgan, but that’s it.”

Nate smiled, his eyes warm. “I’m glad to hear it. If you have any questions, however, I wouldn’t mind answering them. I am well aware of how difficult the rest of the team can be.”

Diana considered his words for a few seconds. Finally, lowering her eyes she muttered the thing that had been bothering her day and night.

“If we find Murphy, how can we stop him?” Her gaze snapped back to Nate’s. “How can I kill a vampire?”

The silence stretched between them. Nate looked older, less casual than she was used to seeing him. She realized that this was why he had asked. Unlike most of the team, he understood her desire to be useful. Supported it even.

“There isn’t just one way to do so. But inflicting enough damage would do the trick.” The vampire stood up then, his long strides taking him to stand before the detective within seconds. “But you need to be fast and smart about how you approach a vampire. We are creatures of death, designed to deal with difficult prey.” She could hear the self-loathing in his voice. “Please, detective, promise me that, if possible, you won’t go after Murphy. Promise me you’ll stay out of the fight.” Grasping her arms, Nate lowered his head to stare directly into her eyes. “Please.”

Looking away and trying to breathe, Diana cleared her throat. “You and Morgan have this in common.” Glancing at the man she smiled. “What is it with vampires and personal space?”

He knew that she was trying to dodge the question. Diana lied only when necessary, which meant that she was very good at evading questions that made her uncomfortable. Typically, he would have allowed it, yet  this was too important to be ignored. She had been growing more and more desperate each day. Grasping her arms tighter he frowned.

“Detective.”

“I can’t promise you that, Nate.”

They stood there for a little longer, his eyes pleading and hers stubborn. Then, against all logic, he pulled her into a hug. Diana was not a hugger, as a rule. She struggled to get out of his grasp, but the vampire strength was nothing to scoff at.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m not letting you go until you promise not to do anything stupid.” He smiled into her hair, trying (and failing) not to relish in the feeling of her in his arms.

“Agent Sewell, this is unprofessional and humiliating.” She moved her arms between them, pushing with most of her strength and not moving an inch. His chuckle reverberated in her chest. “Let. Me. Go.” Her words were quickly turning into a growl.

“No. Not until you promise.”

“The Wayhaven PD does not negotiate with terrorists.” She grumbled.

Another chuckle. Nate moved his arms to gently brush against her tense back, basking in the heat radiating from her skin. His own heart was thrumming like a hummingbird. The words left in a whisper, against his will. “I don’t want to see you hurt.”

Diana’s breath stuttered.

They both jumped when a phone began to ring. Releasing her, Nate stepped back, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. She avoided his eyes and she answered the call.

“Detective Hart speaking... Yes. Of course, captain. I’ll be right there.”

 

***

 

Moving through the dance floor, dodging the intoxicated youth, a man made his way towards the detective sitting in the most reclusive part of the bar. He was about six feet tall and looked imposing in his casual yet dark coloured clothing. It hadn’t been easy to ‘lure’ her out, so to speak. The Agency kept a tight leash on their pets, which meant that Diana had to be followed at all times. Diving the team had taken a while and even then, two members had stayed with her. He had to call Timothy to set up the other bait.

Yet here she was. Older, tired, yet still the same as he remembered.

He was still ways off when her eyes snapped to him.

“Luke?”

The man, meanwhile, was barely recognizable. Diana remembered him young and clean-shaven with tidy hair and charming smiles. This man was dangerous, his blond hair long and messy, the scruff and the frown completing the image of a menacing persona. A quick scan revealed that he was also armed. The one thing that hadn’t changed were his eyes. She wouldn’t have recognized him otherwise.

“Diana,” He greeted, nodding for her to sit back down. “I got your message.”

“I take it you’re the supposed ‘witness’?” She mimed air quotes.

“Yes, sorry, about that. Had to get you away from the bloodhounds. Are they following Murphy’s supposed trail?”

The detective glared. “Yes. Which I suspect was also a ruse. You could have called, you know.”

“You sure about that, _detective?_ ” He smirked when her glare deepened. “From what I saw, they were always there, always listening to every single word you said.”

“Have you been following me?” She twirled the untouched drink  and considered just leaving.

“You were the one to ask for help, Wonder woman.” The old nickname felt like a slap. No one had called her that since Dahlia had died.  

She stood up, fully intending to leave, but Luke grasped her arm and muttered under his breath.

“And I finally had an excuse to see you.”

When Diana remained standing, he sighed and decided to just go for it. “Why did you call me?”

Glancing around to see if anyone was listening, the detective swallowed her nerves and sat down, tugging at her ponytail.

“How much do you know about the Murphy situation?”

“Killed a few people, ran for the hills when it didn’t work out.”

“Not quite.” She cleared her throat. “We believe he’s still in the town or somewhere nearby.”

Luke watched her with skepticism. “I see. And why do you need me?”

“I had hoped you might have some tips on how to find him.”

He had been working as a bounty hunter for years. While she thought it to be a legal form of vigilantism, her current situation had left her with few options. He knew how to find criminals and she had nothing else to go on. Luke ordered a drink while Diana watched for any sign of the gentle and playful man she used to know.

“He’s a... serial killer, right?” His hazel-green eyes pinned her to the chair. She had a suspicion that he wanted to say something else, but refrained from mentioning it.

“Yeah.”

“What makes you think that he hasn’t moved on?”

“There’s... a potential victim in this town.” She tried to say it as a fact, but something in Diana’s voice gave her away.

“Ah, that explains your new friends, I suppose.” Taking a swing of his drink, the man sighed. “Men like that are difficult to find. They are not impulsive by nature and change their location often.”

“Then how do you lure them out?”

He glanced at her with a frown. “You can’t be seriously considering this.”

“What else am I supposed to do, Luke?” Diana threw her hands in the air. “He’s not going to stop if I don’t catch him.”

“I hear that the Agency is involved?” He smirked at her raised eyebrow. “I have my sources. Let them handle it.”

“I can’t.”

“Yes you can. He’s… not the sort of man you can take on, trust me.”

She stared at him with narrowed eyes. “And what the hell do you mean by that, Luke?”

They watched each other, both trying to figure out just how much the other one knew. It was strange, Luke thought, to see Diana so calculated, so controlled. In the past she had been gentle and honest. He couldn’t picture this woman with paint in her hair and on her skin, singing an old pop song to cheer up her sister. All these years, he had hoped that she was better, happy. It had never occurred to him that just as he was hunting men and monsters alike, so was she, in her own way. Her call had left him troubled. Luke knew that she did not approve of bounty hunting. And he sure as hell did not expect her to like this new broken and twisted man that he had become. However, the Hart sisters were his family. He couldn’t have refused her, no matter the circumstances. So as he took in the desperate anger in her eyes, he knew things were dire and he had to tell her the truth. Diana beat him to it, though.

“You know what he is, don’t you?”

“It’s easy to spot the signs, considering the fact that I’ve been hunting bastards like him for years.” The harsh laugh seemed out of character for him. “And no. Before you ask, I won’t help you get this Murphy guy.”

“Then why the fuck did you even come here?”

“I came here to help, not to get you killed.”

“Oh for the love of...” Chugging the drink, Diana stood up and dodged out of Luke’s reach. “I don’t need yet another person telling me not to do my job. He’s a criminal and I need to catch him before he kills again. How come this is so fucking difficult to understand? Thanks for nothing, Luke.”

With that said, she half ran out of the building. The silver car beeped as she unlocked it and in the silence of the night Diana heard Luke’s footsteps on the other side of the street.

“You cannot go after Murphy, Diana.” He spoke, the empty streets carrying his words far.

“I’ve heard that before, thanks,” she muttered and slammed the door.

He kept moving towards her at a leisurely pace.

Ignoring it, she pressed on the gas pedal and started driving right towards the man. He was a good distance away, and could have easily moved. As she sped up, however, he continued on walking straight towards the car.

And walking.

And walking.

She slammed on the brakes like a woman gone mad.

“What the fuck is your problem?”

He smirked, a foot’s width between him and the car.

“The first and last lesson every hunter-wannabee learns is…” His smirk widened. “...don’t hunt the hunter.”

At first, she could only blink. Once. Twice. Third time’s the charm, they would say. Eventually, accepting the things as they were, Diana banged her head against the wheel as two fangs gleamed in the headlights.

Luke was one of them.


	7. It All Comes Back to Things Unspoken

She did not stay to chat with Luke. Partially because Unit Bravo would be waiting for her, and partially because she was terrified. Pressing on the gas pedal, the detective drove away from the fact that the supernatural had leaked into her personal life just as effectively as it had intruded into her work. Luke had belonged to the memories of a simple youth and happiness, untainted by vampires and demons. Sighing, she stopped by the apartment building and placed her inner turmoil aside, she had work to do.  Diana called her captain to inform him that the witness had ‘gotten cold feet’. Once she braved the hallway that led her back hone, she found Adam and Morgan back in her apartment, furious like cats after a bath. They pounced before she could lock the door.

“Where the hell have you been?” Morgan all but snarled. “And where are the others?”

“Nice to see you too, Morgan. ” She took her time, taking off the jacket and unwrapping the scarf. The whole situation was giving her a headache, and she was, frankly speaking, exhausted of the overbearing vampires. “Nate and Farah went to check out a possible lead, while I was supposed to meet with a witness.”

“And they just let you go _alone_?” A quick glance at the man confirmed that he was close to breaking her furniture. The vein in his temple was throbbing. 

“Nate thought that following Murphy with me in the backseat was asking for trouble.” Hands on hips she looked from one to the other. “How many times do I have to tell you, Adam? I don’t need you stalking me 24/7. It was a well known bar. It was safe.”

Feeling far more tired than she should have been, Diana untied her hair, running her hand through it. This whole situation had been Luke’s doing, yet she was getting scolded like a child coming home after curfew. The detective moved to open the window, her shoulder bumping into Adam none too gently, which earned her a burning glare. 

“Did you even consider the possible consequences of your...” Adam took a step forward before freezing in place, eyes growing wide. “Were you attacked?” He seemed to inhale and scowl even further. 

Morgan mirrored the leader and grimaced before moving towards the open window to light up a cigarette. Diana gave them both a bewildered look. 

“No, I’m fine. The Captain called. He had received an anonymous tip that Murphy had been spotted near the Eastfield Road.” She moved the papers littering her cupboard and set to making herself a cup of coffee, ignoring the intense look that they were giving her. “I went to talk to the supposed witness. They didn’t come.”

She stared at the coffee for a few seconds, contemplating whether it was too late to drink it. ‘ _To hell with it_ ’, she thought, _‘Adam will probably go on for hours.’_ Adding some cream to the cup she let her mind wander, half ignoring the grumpy agent. His next words, however, caught her attention.

“Then why the hell do you smell like a vampire?” 

For quite a while she had been wondering just how acute their senses were. She knew this and that about the species but the fact that they could smell Luke among whatever other scents she had picked up was concerning. Trying to think through a headache and cursing both herself and Luke, she leaned against the closest surface, hopefully casual.

“I went to a bar. Might have bumped into someone, I suppose.”

She saw his eye twitch. “You just happened to bump into a _vampire?_ ” It was easy enough to realize that he was not buying her bullshit, but she had spent weeks pretending to believe theirs, which meant that it was about damn time that she had her revenge. 

“Yes.”

“Detective, this is not the time for jokes.” His voice was low and threatening. There was so much anger simmering below the surface that she wanted to push him past his limits just to see what he would look like, stripped of all that self-control. She shook her head to get rid of the thought. “We were lured away. Someone wanted you alone and if this vampire...”

“Does it matter?” She sighed, hands clasped behind her neck. “I’m here, nothing bad happened. I would be more worried about Farah and Nate at this point.”

“They’re fine. On their way back.”

Nodding, Diana poured the hot water and walked towards her bedroom. 

“Then I’m off to deal with Mrs. Gardener’s case files. I’ll be in my bedroom.”

“Detective...”

“No, Adam. I’m tired and not in the mood for one of your speeches.”

She gave him a pointed look, one he answered with a frown. Diana had never been a physical person, but she was feeling increasingly more inclined to punch Adam. Glancing at Morgan revealed her still smoking, a thoughtful look on her face. Once the broody vampire noticed the gaze directed at her, she sent a smirk of her own.

Diana sighed. _‘Vampires and their sense of superiority.’_

 

***

 

Diana found herself unable to sleep, her mind trying to put itself in order. She tried to ignore the chewing out that Nate was getting in the other room, while her eyes drilled a hole in the ceiling. Luke being a vampire was a shock of its own, yet it still had a lesser impact than the changes in his demeanor. They had met a few months after the funeral, and he had seemed… better. Sighing, she turned, the blanket tangled around her legs. 

“Get a room, you two.” Came Farah’s voice from the kitchen, making Diana snort. The vampire was easily her favorite. 

Nate and Adam had been arguing back and forth without a purpose for hours. It was grating on her nerves on a whole new level. They weren’t exactly shouting but it was getting close. 

She turned yet again, just as her phone buzzed signalling a new message. Grunting, Diana picked it up and squinted at the painfully bright screen. The message was short and even though it was from an unknown number she had no doubt as to who had sent it.

‘ _Meet me at the cemetery at noon. Bring Morgan.’_

Her eyebrows shot up at the last two words. Well, this was going to be interesting.

 

***

 

The cemetery was empty and eerily silent as she marched towards her sister’s tombstone. With each step the stillness felt more and more stifling. She hadn’t visited in quite a while and it felt intrusive to be there. Although not a single soul was present, Diana felt the scrutiny of ghostly eyes on her. The weather didn’t improve the atmosphere, the cold and cloudy day made even gloomier by sleet. This in turn had made Morgan especially grumpy, which is why she had stayed behind and was currently scowling near the car. Getting her to tag along had been less of a challenge than detective had expected, for which she was grateful.

Diana inhaled deeply when she reached the final resting place of Dahlia Hart. The frigid cold grasped at her heart, the guilt and shame pulling her shoulders towards the ground not unlike a physical weight. There were old flowers and notes left by Dahlia’s old friends. It wretched her insides even further to see the photo underneath it all, stained by the rain, yet recognizable. She had almost forgotten what her sister had looked like.

Morgan watched the surroundings with a frown. It had been no coincidence that the detective had requested her to tag along, and she sure as hell was not stupid enough to buy her excuse (Yes, Nate and Adam were still bitchy, but it wasn’t the only reason). The vampire threw out her cigarette, all senses on high alert. The weather was inconvenient as it hid the scent of any potential adversaries and it left her dependent on sight and sound. Shuddering in the disgusting cold that seemed  to be a constant part of life in Wayhaven, she crossed her arms in apprehension. If _he_ was involved, things were far more complicated than the Agency had thought. Minutes passed before the hair on her arms rose in alarm. One minute the detective was standing alone, wrapped in melancholy, and the next there was a man right behind her. Morgan sprung to action as Diana whipped around, hand moving to the gun holster on reflex. 

“You’re here,” Luke’s voice was gentle. He could see the turmoil in the way she stood, slightly hunched underneath the memories. Turning he dodged out of Morgan’s reach. “And you even brought Morgan.” The vampire in question shoved the redhead behind her, lips pulled in a snarl. While she was rather pleased with herself for predicting the man’s appearance, his loyalties were unknown, and she was not in the fucking mood to guess.

“Morgan, it’s fine. I know him.” The detective’s voice was commanding, powerful. Luke grinned at the scoff it received in return. 

“So do I, which is exactly why you need to get the hell back to the car, sweetheart.”

Straightening, Luke brushed the wet hair out of his eyes before shrugging at Diana’s questioning gaze. “We’ve met.”

A snort. “That’s not all we did.” The wolfish gaze took in his appearance, a smirk of appreciation curving her lips. Diana’s eyes widened at that. She could tell that there was history between the vampires, but had no desire to pry into _that_. How the hell had Luke gone from a fun college human kid to… this?

“Long story.” He waved the women away. “And it’s not why I’m here, anyway.”

Morgan lowered her arms, crossing them under her breasts, but kept the detective out of his reach. While she had expected to meet Luke after recognizing his scent last night, her trust did not go that far. Sending him a cautionary glare she turned to the other woman. Diana stared at them both, not sure of what was happening anymore.

“How the hell do you two even know each other?” The detective tried to step around the brunette only to be pushed back, none too gently. 

“Better make this quick, sweetheart. Or I’ll carry you back to the station.” The threat was clear. 

“It doesn’t matter and I don’t have much time,” Luke took a heavy looking envelope out of the coat’s inner pocket. “You wanted my help to defeat Murphy? Well, here it is.”

He extended to package towards the women, a grim smile twisting his lips. 

Diana cocked a hip. “Why didn’t you just give it to me yesterday?”

The man sighed. “I didn’t know that you’re the… target.” 

“What is it?” Morgan snatched it before Diana could even think of touching it.

“Scourge.” 

The air grew even more tense. He spoke as if the word itself was illegal and unstable. While it meant nothing to the detective, both vampires dreaded whatever it was. 

“How the hell did you get this?”

“I have my ways.” Morgan looked both impressed and disgusted by the answer. “Murphy had stepped on some toes back in the Underground. Important toes. They want him taken care of.”

Diana swiped the envelope out of the woman’s loose grip and inspected it herself. It felt heavy, heavier than she expected and there was a sensation of liquid sloshing inside some sort of containers. 

“What does it do?”  

Luke shared a look with the other vampire. “Since your little vampire problem won’t go away on its own, that is your best chance to survive the confrontation with Murphy.” His phone buzzed and he nodded at it. “My time’s up. Morgan will explain the rest. Don’t let the Agency lackeys see it.” Diana met his eyes and frowned at the concern in his gaze. “Be careful, Wonder woman. Our world plays by a completely different set of rules than yours does.”

***

“Well?” The detective looked at the vampire as soon as they were in the car. “What is it?”

Morgan groaned, letting her head drop against the seat. “It a… steroid of sorts. It enhances human capabilities for a few hours.”

“Such as?” Looking at the envelope curiously she began to unpack it. 

“Such as senses, physical strength.”

“Why haven’t I heard of it until now? Wouldn’t junkies be all over it?”

Growling in agitation Morgan took out her lighter to fumble with it while they had the _talk_. “Because it’s illegal and a pain in the ass to acquire, sweetheart. I’ve only seen it used once in the Arena. That shit’s dangerous.”

“Arena? Dangerous how?” The paper fell away to reveal three tiny flask like containers filled with cloudy fluid. 

“I don’t have the time to explain every fucking thing about the Underground.” Swiping on of the containers she whistled. “This looks like the pure form. Luke sure likes you.”

“Morgan.” Diana glared at the woman. “How is it dangerous?”

The sleet had turned to rain and it was beating against the car as the women watched each other for a few seconds. 

“Scourge is used by humans to get the upper hand in a fight against the supernatural. It makes you faster, stronger, you heal better. Basically a vampire without the bloodlust.” She opened the container, the stench of something long dead filling the room. “People go fucking mad, though. One dude literally ripped his face off after eating a chunk of his opponent.”

The detective covered her nose, gesturing for Morgan to close it. 

“How long does it last?”

“Depends. This form would give you an hour or so.”

“And what then? There’s always a catch.”

A smirk. “Yeah. You crash real bad. Don’t use it unless it is the last option or you’ll be fucked.”

They shared a look of understanding and the detective tucked one container into her inner pocket. “So what’s the deal with you and Luke?”

Unsurprisingly, Morgan didn’t answer.  The vampire turned to look out the window, signaling the end of the conversation. With a defeated sigh, Diana started the car. 

 

***

 

A few days passed rather peacefully, while the detective worked to deal with the usual Wayhaven problems. She was getting ready for bed when the doorbell rang.  Diana exited her bedroom in only pajamas and a robe (the same ones that had received a lot of suggestive commentary from Farah a few days ago), just in time to see Nate let Agent Hart and Adam in. They exchanged pleasantries, before the older woman requested to talk in the privacy of her bedroom. Diana swallowed the retort that their vampire friends were going to hear everything anyway. Rebecca's visit was both expected and surprising. She had no doubt that Adam was behind the whole thing, but what was astonishing was her mother’s new found concern. 

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Rebecca asked, taking her place on the bed. 

Raising a brow, Diana couldn’t help but glance at the woman in surprise. 

“About the cemetery? Murphy? Everything?”

“No, Rebecca, I don’t want to talk.” A frown had settled on her face. “I want to apprehend Murphy and go back to _normal_.”

There was a short pause before agent Hart pursed her lips in a familiar manner. 

“Things were never normal to begin with. The Supernatural… They’ve been a part of your life for a while now.”

“What does that mean exactly?” The rain beating against the windows filled the silence while Rebecca weighted the ups and downs of telling the truth. “Rebecca?” The detective’s tone of voice had taken on an angry edge.

“...it’s Dahlia.” There was a deep longing attached to the name. It felt like her mother had just slapped her. 

“Are you telling me...” Clenching her fists she swallowed a lump before continuing. “...that she was killed by one of _them?_ ”

Rebecca stood up, her face cold but eyes filled with pain. “Yes.”

Diana felt as if she was burning from within, her hatred and guilt choking her. It did explain… the condition… of Dahlia’s body. However, her next thought had her fists clenching hard enough to leave bloody nail marks on her palms. If a supernatural was responsible, then the man that the police had captured, the human man, was not the one that had killed her.

“Did you catch the thing that did this to her?” Goddamn it all, she was about to cry. 

Rebecca looked away. “No.”

“Was it Murphy?”

“As far as we know, that’s not possible. He should have been in the Echo world at that time.” 

Her back was straight and tense. It was one thing to admit such a failure to herself and a whole other thing to admit it to her daughter that had shaped her life around her sister’s death. Diana paced in front of the agent (not that there was much room to pace), hand clenching and unclenching, furious tears brimming at the corners of her eyes. 

There are moments in life, conversations, people that make such a significant impact on a person’s future that it changes them to the core. Her sister’s death had been one such event. Diana had dropped her studies, had broken up with her boyfriend to leave for the police academy. She had hoped to find Dahlia, however, a year later, her sister’s body had been recovered, a suspect caught and imprisoned. Diana had continued working, striving to be a _good_ police officer, to help others that were captured or abused. Eventually she had transferred back to Wayhaven to protect her town and escape the depravity of a big city. Yet now she stood before her _mother_ , who had just told her that Dahlia’s murderer was still out there. Possibly hurting others as he had hurt her sister. 

She was not going to stand for this. She was going to hunt him down if it was the last thing she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there. So, we're nearing the end of book one and this is when my story starts going off script during some scenes. Thank you all for reading (again) and get ready for some action starting with chapter 8. ;)


	8. Warmth in the Strangest of Places

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning to any readers than despise graphic fights - this chapter is rather detailed and should be avoided if violence makes you uncomfortable.

Diana watched her mother depart feeling angrier than she had felt in years. She was not the type of person to throw things and screech, which made it worse. The anger churned inside her veins like molten lava, burning rational thought and leaving pure red fury. Standing by the open window she tried to calm her breathing to no avail. 

A gentle knock startled her, and she turned to see Nate in the doorway, a sympathetic look on his face. Forgetting her ‘no vampires in the bedroom’ rule, she shifted to nod at him. 

“Come in,” The detective murmured, relieved to see him despite her current mood. “Everything all right?” She sounded exhausted and vulnerable, which promptly reminded Nate of the first night at the Agency, when he found her wandering the halls, mourning the dead. 

“Are you all right? This must have been… difficult to hear.” He stopped close enough to touch yet not close enough to intrude. 

“It was.” Hands rubbed at her face with more force than necessary. “Whenever I think ‘this is it, this is the worst news I could get’, something just has to top it.”

Diana’s blue eyes locked with warm brown ones and while she wouldn’t admit it, standing there angry and cold (it was always so bloody cold in Wayhaven, why had she opened that window again?) and alone, she desperately wanted a hug. Glancing back out into the storm she watched the sky for a while. Eventually, encouraged by his tender presence, the detective continued speaking. 

“I’m worried about what Murphy might do to the people of Wayhaven. What if he doesn’t come after me and just keeps feeding on the locals? I have to stop him yet there is _nothing_ I can do. I haven’t felt this useless since… since Dahlia went missing.”

She glanced at him to find a gentle smile curving his lips. “You would make a good agent.” That forced a strained laugh out of her. “It’s a compliment.” Nate was quick to reassure. “And don’t worry about Murphy. We’re with you on this.”

The unspoken words were far more powerful than any empty promises could be. 

_You’re not alone._

Whatever expression she was wearing, it startled Nate, and he moved unconsciously, placing a gentle hand on the detective’s arm. It sent a thrill through Diana, and she found herself reluctant to pull back. This was not the time nor the place, yet Nate was the only glimmer in the hell that she was going through, his presence appeasing the white-hot fury in mere seconds. As if she wasn’t mesmerized enough as it was, he tilted his head just so, eye deepening with emotion she did not wish to pinpoint. 

“I’m with you.” The words grasped at her heart and it lurched towards the man that had spoken. 

Nate watched her eyes dart all over his face, the defences crumbling piece by piece. Her face twisted in sorrow, guilt and fatigue, the small lines around her eyes more prominent than before. His detective would never admit it, but he knew that she was starved for comfort. Despite always pulling away, her expressions warmed at a gentle physical touch and the blue of her eyes lightened after a kind word. Life had sliced at the same wounds over and over again, leaving festering scars in her soul. It had shovelled responsibilities and expectations that she was not prepared to handle, yet she tried anyway. She was alone and easily forgotten by her friends and family, the darkness of her home the only comfort she could get at the end of day. Diana Hart had been doing this for years, long before they came. Yet here she was, still standing, still fighting. 

He couldn’t imagine a more beautiful soul. 

Thus, it was probably a small mercy that Adam stepped through the door before Nate could do what he desired. 

Diana was finally able to draw her eyes away from the melted chocolate that swirled with affection and wonder. Taking a deep breath, she steadied her mental walls and moved out of Nate’s reach. There was a flicker of regret on the man’s face, but he quickly hid it with a smile. 

“Is everything all right?” This time it was Nate’s turn to ask.

Adam seemed tense as he surveyed the room, still outside of it. “Nothing’s wrong. Agent Hart wanted me to let you know that techs are close to figuring out Murphy’s plans, that’s all.”

“Excellent. Guess we should all be there to find out.” Nate strode out of the room, taking the calmness and warmth with him. 

Agitated once more, Diana closed the window, unaware of Adam watching her every move. He could see the stirrings of attraction between Nate and the detective and it had him uncomfortable. He reasoned that it was the irrationality of it all. They would be leaving soon after all. That was sound thinking, which did nothing to the writhing in his ribcage. And then she looked at him, auburn locks escaping the ponytail and brushing against her face (what was it with her hair that he liked so much?). He was transfixed. 

Minutes could have passed while he stood there in silence, caught by her tired eyes, filled with fire. Much like one would imagine a stormy sea. 

And then all hell broke loose. 

 

***

 

Murphy had chosen either the best or the worst timing, she mused, chained to the cold table. Yet again she had been reminded of vampiric superiority as her house was invaded, friends incapacitated, and she herself kidnapped. Her heart grew cold at the prospect of Nate dying just because she was too weak to protect herself and the team. The notion that their mortality was possible and achievable was novel and alarming. The Scourge burned against her breast in shame, from where it was tucked. She had resisted the temptation to use it, hoping to avoid it, but laying on the metal table... she thought herself a conceited fool. 

When Murphy started the procedure, Diana was safely pinned with no space for movement and the pain... The pain was more substantial than a simple feeling. It burned her thoughts and feelings until nothing but suffering remained. During the first moments of relative lucidity she laid on the table, unmoving, feeling her heart stop and start again. Murphy was muttering things about haemolysis and pathetic human healing capabilities, while she prayed to anything and anyone to just _make it stop._ Diana wanted to die. 

However, the agony was less potent than anger. Eventually, Murphy left her alone and she remembered… Dahlia. The vampire’s words echoed in her head. _‘Did you really think that I was the only one to figure this out?’_ He had laughed _. ‘I’m merely trying to replicate the results, detective. Rathmore may have a monopoly on harvesting your kind, but not for long.’_

Someone else was doing this to people. And she knew it in her gut that whoever it was, they were most likely connected to Dahlia’s murder. 

 

***

 

Diana sat by the wall, her blood-stained hands working to patch whatever they could reach. Although Murphy hadn’t gotten the chance to bite her, getting thrown at various rusty surfaces was bound to leave some damage. There were pieces of metal protruding from her shin and one of her arms was certainly dislocated. The team was doing no better. Adam had taken a few powerful hits to the head, while Morgan and Nate were beaten nearly to a pulp - bruises and lacerations forming faster than they could heal. She watched Farah reset an open fracture with a pained howl, before rushing back into the fray. Sadly, she was but an observer, Diana’s condition meaning that both her mind and body were slowly shutting down. She had tried shooting, punching, stabbing Murphy, only to end up as a bloody smear on the wall again and _again_. The worst part of it all, the vile of Scourge was also broken.

There was a constant ringing in her ears as she threw up blood and bile, barely hanging onto consciousness. Which was probably the reason why the detective did not notice Morgan in front of her, nor did she feel her hand on the dislocated shoulder. 

“..ective! Detective Hart, Look at me for fuck's sake!” The mist lifted, slowly, yet she couldn’t get her eyes to focus on the battered vampire. “Do you have the Scourge?”

Diana shook her head in denial. The only vial was broken, embedded in her chest, while the rest were still back in the apartment. 

Morgan seemed to have anticipated the answer and groped around her belt for a few seconds before producing a new one. She wore grim determination that was quite uncharacteristic.

“I cannot guarantee that it won’t kill you, detective.”

Diana grimaced in a poor attempt at a smile. “Not sure I’m going to make it anyway.”

They shared an understanding nod and Morgan poured the cloudy fluid into the detective’s mouth. They both grimaced at the stench despite it being the least of their problems. 

“I need to join the others,” Morgan grumbled as Murphy impaled Adam on a glass shard, as tall as him. “Once it kicks in, get Murphy’s attention. All we need is a distraction.”

Diana nodded, her eyelids drooping in exhaustion. 

It took a few minutes to note any changes. The ringing in her ears slowed down to a muted hum that drowned the noises of the fight and rain around her. She actually felt her skin itch as the wounds began to close. Looking at the junk in her flesh she pulled them one by one, each movement taking less and less effort. When she looked at the fight, the vampires seemed to be moving slower, much slower than fatigue could account for. Diana grasped at the wall behind her for support and slowly stood up to her full height, eyes never leaving Murphy. 

Then she felt her heart stop for a couple of seconds. 

And then it started back again, sending a wave of pure unadulterated _power_ through her body. 

Nate and Farah were trying to hold Murphy as Diana wrenched her dislocated arm back in place, basking in the newfound strength. Her anger returned tenfold, feeding the Scourge to the point when all she could see and think of was madness. 

The last rational thought she had, before the Scourge took over her mind like a sea of red, was that she was going to kill Murphy, everything else be damned. 

 

***

 

Nate spat out some blood, one eye too swollen to see. Despite his rather optimistic character, things were not looking good. He glanced at the spot where the detective had last been and froze. Scanning the area, Nate noted that she was nowhere to be found. He turned to inform Adam when a vehement howl ripped through the air. 

Murphy was thrown back in a similar manner that he had been throwing the team, a blur of red flashing to pick him back up and skewer the man with a rusty pipe. When the dust cleared, he watched the detective bend the metal to trap it in the vampire’s body.

Farah jumped back to her feet screaming questions, as Diana beat Murphy with her bare fists, the rest of the team as baffled as her. Morgan was the first to recover,  shouting at Adam to get the DMB, while the rest just gaped at the sight before them. 

Murphy broke off the pipe, swinging it at the woman in a desperate need to get her away. She toppled to the ground with a growl, eyes never leaving the target. 

Adam pointed for the team to silently close in from the back, while Murphy was busy with the detective, but his mind was preoccupied with one thought: how had detective Hart gotten her hands on the Scourge? 

“All right, try to get him pinned, but don’t get in her way,” Diana was snarling, ripping the concrete apart and throwing it at Murphy. There was no control in her movements, merely madness. 

Finally, one of the projectiles hit him in the shoulder and Farah pounced to grab hold on the vampire. They had few precious seconds to close in and Adam was nearly there when Diana picked Farah by the hair and ripped her off of Murphy, a scowl on her blood splattered face. Murphy took this opportunity to swing at the rest of Unit Bravo, catching Morgan’s leg and breaking it like a toothpick before throwing her at Nate. He didn’t get to go after Adam, however, as the detective tried to tackle the vampire, unsuccessfully. She ended up straddling Murphy’s back and clawing at his throat from behind like a rabid animal. Murphy wailed in agony when she bit down into his shoulder and rushed backwards to hit the woman against the wall. She screamed but didn’t let go, using the opportunity to beat the back of Murphy’s head with the gun she had magically kept on her through the whole thing. 

It took a few hits before Murphy’s head gave a satisfying crack, and he stumbled to the ground, taking Diana with him. Adam was there, syringe in hand and shouting something at the woman, but she couldn’t have cared less. Murphy was _hers._

Warm familiar hands embraced her from behind when she made a move forward. 

“It’s okay, Adam is going to finish this.” Nate mumbled.

Murphy’s shrieks drowned out her own as he stumbled from the blond man and the empty syringe. 

Part of her _rejoiced_ in his pain, while the other hated Adam for taking her prey. 

“Diana, stop, please...” Nate begged as she fought him with all her strength. 

Yet there was no recognition in her eyes and even as Murphy dropped to the ground in a pathetic heap, she flung Nate towards the exposed pipeline, rendering him unconscious. She stepped forward to finish the man who had ruined her life, only to face a young woman. 

“Detective, this isn’t you. Plea-” Farah ducked away, the brutality of detective’s punch scaring her. “Please. You have to stop.”

Using Farah as a distraction, Adam threw a cinder block at Diana, despite his reservations about hurting her. She dodged out of the way, her eyes (they looked black in the madness that consumed her) shifting to take him in. 

He was in her way. 

The detective ran towards him, no recognition flashing in her eyes as she kicked Adam in the knee cap and tried to knee him in the head. The ground was slippery and her balance failed, giving the vampire enough time to react. He caught her leg, face twisting in pain. 

Adam had fought a Scourge drugged human once. They were brutal and fast, leaving their adversaries no other options than to wound them fatally or die trying to immobilize them. But Diana was not just a random junkie, and he had promised agent Hart to keep her alive, which made things substantially more difficult. Morgan barrelled into the detective’s side, grappling for a second before Diana swiped the switch-blade tucked in the vampire’s belt and nearly gutted the woman. Farah managed to intervene before that happened, but ended up with a decent cut herself. 

Adam watched for a moment, his mind sorting through facts to reach a decision.

“Get Murphy and leave.” He yelled, catching everyone’s attention.  
“We can’t just fucking leave her like this,” Morgan gestured to the detective, who was wheezing and stalking towards Adam, a slight limp in the leg that was sliced to ribbons, the switch-blade still sticking out of it.

He caught Diana’s eye, stepping backwards to get her away from the team. “I’ll stay and try to keep her alive until it wears off.”

“Adam, you can’t be serious...”

Diana lunged, knife at the ready, while Adam sent a powerful uppercut her way. “I SAID GO.” He shouted, the tone of his voice final. 

Morgan shared a look with Farah before nodding and moving on to pick Murphy, while the other woman limped towards Nate’s prone form. 

Engaged in a fight for his life, Adam barely noticed them leave the warehouse, but exhaled in relief anyway. 

He dodged what he could and countered what he couldn’t but Murphy had taken a lot out of him and the Scourge was giving the detective both speed and strength that could easily rival his. 

Diana threw what looked like a rusty car bumper and scaled the wall to tear out an iron support beam, while Adam pulled the cursed knife from between his ribs.. Her movements were erratic and uncontrolled, which improved the situation slightly. She was also slowing down. When the woman launched herself, he moved to grasp her by the throat, the other hand ripping the impromptu weapon from her grip. She wailed when the beam clattered on the ground at Adam pinned her to the wall, her back to his chest. Diana snarled and clawed, leaving bloody scratch marks on the old surface, while he tried to keep her from injuring either of them any further. She was losing air all the more quickly in her trashing, her eyesight blurring.

“Stop this.” Adam growled, the line of his body pressed against the woman in a vain attempt to keep her still.

Desperate to breath in some air, she headbutted Adam, giving her just enough space to turn around and get her own arms around his throat. The strength was slowly leaving her and a deep ache was settling in her bones. Yet she fought. She fought as if Adam was responsible for Dahlia’s death, as if he had turned Luke into a vampire, as if the whole Murphy situation was his fault. Her nails dug into the flesh that oozed dark blood before he removed her hands and pinned them behind her. Some sort of animalistic instinct forced her to go for the jugular, blunt teeth digging into the muscle. With a  strangled curse, Adam grasped her chin, slippery from the blood, and tore her away. It was easier than he had anticipated and it gave him hope that it was about to end.

“Enough.” It was spoken softly, his green eyes warm jades. 

With a final howl of frustration, she wrenched in his hold, eventually sagging against the vampire. Her head hung in exhaustion and flesh throbbed in agony, while Diana tried to breathe through the pain. The Scourge was leaving her as quickly as it had taken hold, and her mind was trying to knit itself back, ignoring the frayed edges. 

Adam slid with her to the ground, whispering words of comfort she wouldn’t have thought him capable, and tried to ignore his thirst growing at the scent of her blood. Diana shook and watched as the damage done to her hands stopped healing, leaving skinless knuckles and possibly broken bones. Then her heart skipped a beat. 

And another.

With the third pause, she lost consciousness.

She felt surprisingly warm. 

_Isn’t it always cold in Wayhaven?_


	9. From a Bat to a Fox

 

The dilapidated warehouse creaked and groaned under the shifting debris, while Adam waited with the detective safely wrapped in his arms. He counted the woman’s breaths with sorrow, but they kept slowing down, in tandem with her heartbeat. There was little to do, but wait. The man himself was in horrible shape as well. The injuries had awoken the type of hunger that scratched and tore at the back of his throat, which was why he had carefully moved them to the part of the warehouse where the roof had caved in. The rain helped. Somewhat. Adam took shallow breaths as the water beads coloured a rusty red and gathered in a puddle of diluted grime and blood underneath their bodies. That was how Nate found them, Diana’s head tucked under Adam’s chin, the latter shivering in the cold. The man stopped a few paces away from them, whatever expression Adam had been wearing, prompting discernible anguish.

“Is she…?” The question was but a whisper, barely audible as the sirens got closer. 

“I can hear a heartbeat,” Adam assured. “But it’s weak. Unsteady.” He swallowed the dread that had cracked his voice, and looked away.

Nate knelt in front of the detective, tentative fingers moving to brush away the matted hair. His other arm hung limp by his side, rotated inwards. The whole team had taken quite a beating, if their slow healing was any indication. Adam watched his friend take a deep breath and grit his teeth as the scent of blood oozed from the wounded woman. Whatever Murphy had done, it enhanced the aroma, adding a spice to her usual fragrance that alluded to a deep and lavish flavour. Nate shook his head, agitated by the itch of his gums. 

“The paramedics are almost here. Farah and Morgan are going to direct them.” Nate spoke softly. “How did this happen?”

“The Scourge.”

He looked up at the other man, brown eyes wide, even with the swelling on the right side. “How did she get it?”

Adam was just about to admit that he had no idea, when Diana’s muscles clenched in pain, a groan following her attempt to breathe in. 

“Diana?”

Her gaze was unfocused while she surveyed the warehouse, eyes passing over Nate’s until they reached the pools of ice. It was a subconscious decision to seek him out, yet the human mind is a curious thing. Adam could feel a hand scrunch up his soiled shirt. It clawed at his heart to see her so weak. When Diana spoke, her voice was distorted by fluids and breathless. 

“Adam?”

It was still the loveliest of sounds, nonetheless.

“Yes, I’m here...We’re here. It’s done.” Adam tried to sound assuring, rational but instead it came out soft and relieved. 

She sluggishly turned to Nate, eyelids fluttering under the pain and exhaustion. Although the Agency was practically there, he begged in his mind for them to arrive quickly. 

 “You’re going to be alright. I’ll make sure of it.” There was no pretense in his voice. Nate wrapped each word in affection, eyes kind. 

“The team? Murphy…?” Nate nodded encouragingly. 

“We captured him. And everyone’s okay.” At the dubious look, he laughed. “At least we will be.”

“I’m sorry… the Scourge… it… took over.”

Adam tightened his arms, the trademark scowl back on. “That’s why it’s illegal, detective. What were you thinking?”

“I wanted to help...” A broken whisper followed by a cough that had her spitting blood just to breath. “I’m sorry.”

Sighing, Adam tried to gather her back in his arms, even as the footsteps approached. “You did good, detective. Really good.”

“At least that’s something, then...”

Adam could feel the exact moment her body shut down, the fingers loosening their hold on him and slipping away. Nate tried to rouse her, her name a forlorn plea on his lips. 

It was Farah that announced the arrival of Agency's paramedics, seeing as Morgan had stayed with Murphy. Nate moved to let the medics pass and while the team prepared the stretcher, Adam leaned in one last time, voice tender.

“You have to get through this. Please.” His heart wrenched with what was left unspoken.

 

***

 

The recovery process was slow, as expected. By the time Diana was allowed to go home, weeks had passed, and she still felt like death personified. The damage she had taken while fighting was one thing, but the Scourge was a monster on its own and as Morgan had mentioned at the cemetery, the withdrawal was horrible. She winced, her feet protesting at the attempt to move up the stairs. 

“Do you need help, detective?” Adam's voice held no judgement, yet it stung as an insult would have. 

She gritted her teeth. “I’m fine.” Another step in agony. “I just need to take it slow.”

Diana heard some shuffling coming from the landing and then Farah flew past her, heavy bags in hand. The bags contained all the files that the Agency had on Dr. Alicia Rathmore, a former employee that had gone rogue. The fact that Farah could carry all the files in one go meant that there was very little information to go on, Dr. Rathmore having deleted, destroyed or corrupted anything she had gotten her hands on, before leaving a few years back. When Diana had first recounted Murphy’s ramblings, most had been doubtful of the good doctor’s involvement, describing her as ‘an honest and hard-working woman, if a bit cold’. However, once they had started looking, red flags had popped up all over the place. It had taken a lot of squabbling to get herself involved in the case, but Diana was returning home victorious, if not a little sullen. Rathmore was the main reason why the detective had taken the position as the Agency’s liaison. It irked her that Rebecca had gotten her involved in the shady government business. 

Diana was almost at the top of the stairs, when her knees gave out and had her collapsing against the wall in a clumsy attempt to balance herself. Good thing that Farah hadn’t seen, or she would have surely yelled ‘Timber!’ at the sight. She grasped the handrail, flaky dye sticking to her skin, misty from sweat, although it was (as usual) a fairly cold morning. The detective didn’t need to look, she knew that Adam was behind her in an instant, hands on her hips. The gentle pressure sent a shiver through her that made her starved feminine side purr at the contact. Swallowing her desire, she took a breath and stood back up. Neither of them spoke as he helped her walk the rest of the way to the apartment. Things had been different between them, ever since the fight with Murphy. Hell, the whole team had been treating her strangely, yet her relationship with Adam had turned difficult. Once inside, Diana wasted no time, plopped on the couch and motioned for the vampires to give her the files. 

“Is there anything else you need, detective?” Farah’s eyes were earnest.

Her face turned kind. “No, I’m okay. You two should probably get back to the Agency.” She was to continue working with them, but there was no need for them to stick around 24/7.

“Oh, okay,” The young woman visibly deflated. “See you around, I guess?” 

Diana smiled. “Of course.”

While she turned to the files, the back of her head burned under the intensity of Adam’s gaze. Choosing to ignore it as she was not ready to discuss the newest tension between them, the detective flipped through the papers with unfocused eyes. The first time they had spoken after Murphy had quickly grown into an argument. Her insistence to keep the acquisition of the Scourge unexplained, much to Morgan’s relief, had vexed Adam. A few days later anger had given place to a completely different tension. They danced around it, neither ignoring nor acknowledging the newest complication. It was a clumsy attempt at normality. Too much and not enough had been spoken for them to be clear on where they stood. She hadn’t told him that it had been his voice that had broken through the Scourge induced madness. His touch. 

She couldn’t admit it to herself, even.

Therefore, Diana did what she did best. She threw herself into work.  

Ms. Rathmore offered a very effective distraction. The photo clipped to her file was about ten years old, but knowing her supernatural nature, Diana suspected that she hadn’t changed much. At a glance, Alicia was a very average woman, if you didn’t count her being a kitsune an abnormality. A kitsune was classified as a demonic-fox-shape-shifting species originating from Japan. Alicia was older than most kitsunes in the Agency and it showed in the soft wrinkles around her eyes and lips. The sharp intelligent features complimented her blonde hair and golden eyes. Anyone’s first impression would have been ‘harmless’. The feminine beauty added a touch of vulnerability that worked well on the masses. Certainly, a good-looking small woman couldn’t have been responsible for hundreds of murders? 

The detective knew better. Cruelty loved a pretty face. 

 

***

 

Diana hung up after talking to Tina and was about to make dinner (which was a fancy way of saying ‘heat up some leftover pasta’), when the doorbell rang. Although the team was still watching over her most of the time, they had limited their presence to the station and other public areas. The detective was alone in her apartment. 

The doorbell rang again as she deactivated the safety on her firearm. 

“Oh come on, Diana. I come in peace.” Hearing the movement, a man groaned from the other side.

To her astonishment, Luke stood in the hall, looking the same as he did the last time they had seen each other. 

“It’s almost midnight.” She noted dryly as he brushed past and plopped on the couch. 

“You weren’t sleeping.” A statement, not a question. His hazel-green eyes held mirth, yet there was a tension in the way he smiled. 

Placing the gun back in the drawer, she leaned against the table. Surprise notwithstanding, it was good to see Luke. 

“What are you doing here?” 

Gesturing towards her, the vampire rubbed his jaw in trepidation.

“I was worried.” They shared a look before he proceeded. “Morgan called, she said you had used the Scourge, got beat up pretty bad, spent a few days in a medically induced coma…” A hollow laugh. “Had to see if my favourite Hart was still kicking.”

Diana smiled.  “Still kicking.”

“Look, if I had known that you’d be so susceptible to the Scourge mania...”

“It saved my life. Probably the team’s as well.” Giving him a pointed look, Diana tried for a lighter subject. “How is it that you two know each other, by the way?” At his fake confusion, she added. “You and Morgan.”

Brushing the blond locks away, he grimaced. “We, ah… Worked together for a while. There’s not much to it. You know how she is. Speaking of Morgan, she mentioned that you could use my help on the new case?” 

Raising her eyebrows at the obvious deflection, Diana wondered how to approach it. 

“That depends. Do you know Dr. Rathmore?”

Luke groaned and curled up, his form less menacing, even clad in black leather as he was. She noted a tattoo, peeking from underneath the shirt, the scars marring his hands, the various weapons tucked all over his body. Yeah, he had certainly changed from her college days. 

“How the fuck do you always get yourself into these kinds of situations?” He spoke finally, when the initial rage was quelled. 

“Is there a problem with me looking into Rathmore?”

Luke looked at her, eyebrows pinched.”Is there a problem? She asks.” He mocked in a high-pitched voice. “What do you know of the doctor, Diana? Why are you after her?”

“Murphy mentioned her. He implied that she was the first to… experiment on people like me.” A heartbeat later she added in a quiet voice. “I think she may have killed Dahlia.”

Luke’s eyes widened, before his face twisted in pain. But there was something theatrical about his surprise, she didn’t buy it for a second.  “Diana… her death...”

“She was found drained of blood, pumped with chemicals, dissected in a way that was _unique_  and savage, then placed back together like some sort of a puzzle.” Diana was sick and tired of being told that she was wrong. “I read the files. Dr. Rathmore had assisted in a few autopsies back in the Agency. Do you want to know what I found?”

Not giving him time to answer, the detective grabbed her notes, flipping through them till she found a quote. 

“Dr. Rathmore,” She read in her best evil scientist voice. “Prefers to utilize layering techniques for cadaver assessment, which take longer than the typical Y cut, however, prove to be more precise and should be considered for future practise in cases of supernatural deaths.” Dropping the notebook with a thud, Diana picked a photo from the notebook and pointed her quivering finger at it. “How would you describe this, Luke?”

It took him a few seconds to understand what was in the photo. When he did, his blood ran cold. 

“Jesus, Diana. Why the hell do you have this?” It was the photo of Dahlia’s body, still at the crime scene, cut into layers and placed back together like a demented science project.

“Tell me Luke, does this look like coincidence?” 

They stared at each other, carefully avoiding the photo. 

“No.” He admitted with a sigh.

“Then help me find Rathmore.” Seeing the stubborn glint, Diana ploughed forward, conscious of the pain that she was about to cause. “If you ever loved Dahlia, if she meant anything at all to you, help me find the bitch who did this.”

“Fucking hell, Hart. You know I loved her. But Rathmore... ” Rubbing at his eyes, Luke sat back down and tried to hide the fangs. “Rathmore is a very powerful woman.”

The detective watched him with anger. “If Morgan sent you here, then you know more than that.”

“I… Fuck, yeah, I do." A sigh. "A few months after the funeral Rathmore approached me with information. She told me that some sick bastard named Bentley was responsible. She explained the supernatural shit, fed me a sob story about losing her son to the same sicko, and promised to help me find him. She had me enter the Arena, high on Scourge and other junk to give me the edge I needed against the supernaturals. She knew who I was, of course, but thought that it would be funny to play around. Well, long story short, I finished the guy off, only to find out that Bentley was her _competition_ and had nothing to do with Dahlia. The doctor had killed her son herself too.” They both took a minute to let the revulsion set in. “She was the main dealer in the Underground.” Luke laughed in self-depreciation. “The bitch got me good. By the time I figured things out, she had managed to disappear, leaving a few thugs to gave me the weirdest of hickeys. That’s when Morgan comes in. She was chasing one of the vamps, ended up with a baby-fang instead.”

“She...turned you?” Diana’s knuckles were white from horror and hatred. 

“No. But she did help me. The others turned me.”

“What about Rathmore?”

“She has the whole Underground under her thumb, Diana.” He grimaced. “Not to mention that she has some serious manipulation skills.”

The detective pressed her lips together, deep in thought. “Is there a way to flush her out?”

“Not unless you have something that she really _really_ wants, no. Look, if this is going to be another ‘How do I get the bad guy’ talk, I can already tell you that Murphy was child’s play in comparison.”

A smirk. “You mean something like a walking supernatural-energy-drink?”

Luke shook his head. “You won’t be able to pull this off. I’ve been trying for years.”

“I won’t be able, no.” The detective admitted, fingers skimming over the photo of her dead sister with grim tenderness. “But I won’t be alone.”

“You can’t possibly think that your little team of Agency vamps will agree to this.”

“They will do what needs to be done.” She stated dryly. “And I don’t intend to give them a choice.”

 

***

 

“Just go and talk to her,” Farah groaned, arm across her eyes. 

Nate stopped pacing, his hands in pockets. He threw her a sheepish look. 

“I’m sorry, it’s just that I… miss her. And I worry.”

“We saw her yesterday. I’m sure even our beloved detective hasn’t gotten into anything too fun during the past 24 hours.”

“I know, I know… Morgan’s with her. I can’t help it, though.”

Giving a knowing smile, Farah sat up straighter and looked at Adam. 

“That’s right. Morgan is. Why _just_ Morgan, oh mighty leader?” Her grin grew at the tension in Adam’s shoulders. 

“The Agency had ordered her protection until Rathmore is caught.”

“I know that, but we usually stay with her in pairs, don’t we?” She stood up, stretched and cocked her head. “Yesterday I went with Nate. Today was your turn, wasn’t it?”

Silence. 

Nate looked from Farah to Adam with worry. “Is everything okay? Did you two get into another fight?”

The man flinched at the sound of Nate’s voice. It was no secret that his friend had feelings for the detective, and not the platonic kind. Which made it all the more nauseating that Adam couldn’t stay in the same room as Diana without yearning to touch her. The attraction he had noticed in the beginning had taken root, and it confused the vampire, for he could neither explain nor deny the desire he felt. Just the thought of her burning skin underneath the palm of his hand was maddening. Shaking off the thought, he glanced at Nate.

“We’re fine. And you’re welcome to go and check on her.”

Nate watched Adam for a while, noting the irritated twitch of his facial muscles. He had a hunch that something was going on between Adam and Diana, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. 

“Very well, I’ll check in with Morgan to see if they are still back at the station.” He spun on his heel and walked outside, leaving Farah with a very stiff Adam. 

“So...” She drawled, a grin shining as bright as ever. 

Thankfully, before her jokes and pokes could begin, Nate burst back into the room, face pale and phone clutched in his hand to the point where the screen cracked. 

“Diana went to the Underground with another vampire. She’s going after Rathmore.”


	10. All the 'Almost's

The Underground, as it turned out, was very predictable. Luke had explained that it was less of a place and more of an organisation, just as she had expected. Apparently, the supernaturals had a community that avoided government supervision of their own. They engaged in the usual range of activities that included fights, prostitution, drugs and, of course, shopping in the black market for all sorts of goodies. All in all, it was a fairly humane side of the supernatural world. It also raised quite a few questions as to why there were so many sups avoiding the Agency, and was the Agency even capable, if so many could evade it. Unsurprisingly, Luke had refused to answer the aforementioned questions. 

A couple days went by while Luke set things up. It was on an average day like any other that Morgan went outside for a smoke and Diana slipped out of the station, claiming urgent business to the rest of the officers. She could have planned her escape when none of the team were nearby to stop her, but their plan relied on them noticing her disappearance. Luke was waiting behind the building, an anxious frown on his face. Despite his weak protests, he had helped her arrange for Rathmore (better known as the Sandman) to meet at Hanwille.

It was a few hour drive to the city, where Luke’s contact was supposed to pick her up. This gave the team enough time to contact the Agency and prepare for the extraction. She sent a message to Morgan when they left Wayhaven, explaining their plan. Once they finally reached their destination, Diana was surprised to find the woman Luke had referred to as Penny already waiting for them near a local motel. The building was old, seemingly abandoned, crushed between two other equally dilapidated constructions. In the light of the setting sun, it took on a colour of rusty iron, giving the crumbling walls a certain archaic quality. Diana surveyed the boarded windows, the flickering lights and concluded that the motel must have been closed for quite a while. Something about it seemed wrong, however, and her skin crawled at the notion that she was to go inside. 

The woman that waited for them was the complete opposite of the building and the general mood. Penny was a very short, yet stocky girl with a cute face and an ash blond bob. No more than twenty years old, she was dressed in a modern yet casual way that reminded Diana of Farah, skinny jeans and bright coloured sweater adorned with even brighter accessories of various colours. She leaned against a lamppost, hands tucked in the back pockets. Despite her stoic expression, Penny looked tense. 

“Hey, Luke,” She greeted with forced cheerfulness. “I was starting to think that you had forgotten about me.”

“Not that I haven’t been trying, Penny, but no. Do you have the cuffs?”

The girl pouted before producing a pair of handcuffs, relatively bulky in comparison to Diana’s. Luke gave a tense nod and stepped out of the girl’s way.  

“What’s the catch?” The detective wondered, even as she offered her wrists to the tiny woman. 

“Enchanted, yeah?” Penny explained. “No one but me can remove them once they’re on.”

Giving the cuffs a worried look, Diana nodded. Despite her reservations about trusting Penny, she had no choice - Luke was a known enemy of Dr. Rathmore. He couldn’t just waltz in and claim to have captured Murphy’s latest labrat. The doctor would have smelt a trap from a mile away.  

“Doncha worry, detective. You’re in good hands.” She had a southern drawl that added a certain  charm. “All you’ve gotta do is look pretty and scared. Luke and his boys will take care of the Sandman.”

‘His boys’ meaning Unit Bravo, but neither of them wanted to correct her.

When Penny was finished fiddling with the cuffs, Luke placed a gentle hand on Diana’s shoulder and sighed. 

“I won’t try to stop you. But please be careful. Do not underestimate Rathmore.” She could see it in his eyes that he had doubts. Setting up the bait had been too easy. It was very likely that they were walking into a trap. Without a weapon, even.

Well, she was, anyway.

Steeling herself, Diana gave him a grim smile. “For Dahlia.”

Luke nodded. “For Dahlia.”

 

***

 

Penny took her into the building, which for all intents and purposes seemed empty. The two women walked to the basement, their footsteps and the sound of scurrying rodents echoing in the darkness. They were alone for Luke had stayed behind to meet with the team. There was no way to tell how much time Diana had to present herself before Rathmore and keep her in the building. Their plan relied on the Agency capturing Rathmore and dragging her to one of their fancy prisons to suffer an eternity of pain. 

“Brace yourself, detective.” Penny muttered as they stopped before a broken wooden door, which had a certain _ziiing_ coming from it. 

“Brace for what?” 

“The glamour, yeah.” 

Despite the warning, when the women stepped through, the sudden onslaught of noise, lights and smells left Diana disoriented. She swayed on her feet, leaning against the smaller girl, while her senses got used to the stimulation.

“You okay, there, darling?” She sounded amused.

Diana nodded, her eyes slowly taking in the madness. They were in what looked like a club. The bass vibrated through her (how was it so silent out there?), the music deep and sensual. She tried to memorise where the bar and the exits were, but Penny pushed the detective forward, pausing her evaluation. Making their way to the farthest door (this one thick and metal)  was not easy, the undulating bodies pushing and sometimes pulling them to the rhythm of the music, laughter enticing to join them. Despite the masses, the air was neither stale nor unpleasant, rather it was cold and laced with a sweet fragrance. As they got closer to their destination, Diana could feel her heart speed up and the hairs on the back of her neck rise. 

“This is a very dumb idea,” She concluded, her eyes noting the armed guards with demonic claws and animalistic features. 

Yet the photo of Dahlia in her pocket burned, urging her forward. 

 

***

 

The moment Penny pushed her into the couch, Diana could see the guilt in the girl’s eyes.

“Sorry, girl, but you just don’t go against Rathmore.”

Diana supposed this should have caused her great anger, but it had been anticipated long before they met. Luke had not been gentle about pointing out that each and every sup in the Underground was out for themselves. Penny may have owed Luke a huge debt, but as far as anyone was concerned she was still loyal only to herself. With a final glance at the woman she had doomed, Penny left the private room, locking the door behind her.

Diana sighed and took in the other members of her tea party.

The room was designed with a mix of dark browns and deep reds, the only light coming from an old fashioned lamp in the corner. The scent she noted back at the club was stronger here. A woman sat across the sleek coffee table, legs crossed and her expression bored.  Rathmore looked older than in the photo and her hair was dyed a bright scarlet, styled in an intricate updo. A cigarette rested braced between two elegant fingers, it’s ashes fluttering on the black pantsuit the doctor wore. Lounging on the maroon couch, Dr. Rathmore looked powerful, dangerous. More like a woman that would beat people (or rather have them beaten) into submission than a docile scientist.  The silence reigned, while the doctor took a drag. The cold calculating gaze had the detective shivering in discomfort. 

There was another person in the room with the two women - a scrawny man Diana had barely glimpsed at stood behind her, a strange swishing the only indication that he was even there. The whole situation was bizarre to say the least. 

Finally, feeling generous, the woman spoke. 

“Quite the catch, aren’t you? Couldn’t really believe that the furry slut had managed to catch something valuable to my competitors.” While Diana expected suave feminine charm, Alicia was anything but. Rathmore laughed a bit at the situation before piercing the detective with another calculating look. “Then again, are you?”

“That depends on what you think it is that makes me valuable, doesn’t it?” Diana smirked, squeezing her fingers to stop them from trembling. It didn’t go unnoticed by the doctor.

“Oh lovely, another mutt trying to be clever.” A sneer. 

“Mutt?”

“I don’t see any reason for going into detail about how your mommy is a sup loving-whore.”

Despite starting this conversation just to stall Rathmore, her commentary had Diana reeling at the implications. 

“My da-...”

“Enough about your daddy issues, dear. Let’s see what you’re made of. Pull up the sleeve.”

Her command was barked in a frosty voice, leaving no room for argument. Diana glanced to her right side as a man gripped her arm. While she was considering her next move a needle entered her field of view and made the decision for her. 

Diana lunged forward, her cuffed hands thankfully in front of her. The initial surprise of the move had loosened the man’s hold on her, but before she could headbutt the doctor, a claw grasped her by the collar and swung her across the room. There wasn’t quite as much force behind the throw as there had been during her fight with Murphy, yet smacking against the lamp was not enjoyable. The detective groaned, feeling the glass and wood pierce her skin. 

For one ridiculous moment she couldn't help but think that she had just left the hospital.

“Now now, there’s no need for all this.” Rathmore spoke up without a care. “You may very well leave this room if you behave.”

Glancing up in her direction, the detective realized that what had been the only source of light was stabbing her insides. Rathmore’s cigarette glowed a dim orange but that was the only thing she could see. 

Shrouded in darkness, she pushed herself into a sitting position and gripped the closest piece of broken furniture as a weapon. 

“We both know that’s not true.” Diana whispered, straining to hear where the man had gone. 

“Well, it never hurts to hope, though.”

She felt a breath on her face before what used to be a man dug its claws into her neck and lifted her up. Flailing blindly with her wooden plank, and kicking what felt like fur covered stone, Diana struggled to gasp in a breath. 

“Omath, there’s no need to be so barbaric.” The springs creaked in what seemed like Rathmore standing up. Her disdainful voice moved closer. “Then again, despite the dramatics, we have drawn a blood sample after all.”

The detective could feel blood trickling from her neck and other wounds. The thought of either the two supernaturals tasting the enhanced blood increased her struggles tenfold. The demon grunted as it held her one foot above the ground, while the kitsune trailed a cool finger against Diana’s neck. Time seemed to slow down, both due to the slowly approaching unconsciousness and anticipation. 

A few seconds later, the doctor let out a snort.

“Vampire blood? Seriously?” Another snort. Dropping the cigarette right on the carpet, Rathmore ground it with the tip of her shoe. “Ian’s always been an imbecile. But this is just ridiculous.”

In the next second Diana found herself on the floor, her brain still fuzzy trying to discern what had happened. 

“Well, I can’t say that this was pleasant,” The doctor grinned, her face illuminated by the phone she held, dialing one number or the other. “But it was illuminating. And to think I was worried about someone replicating the Scourge.”

“The...scourge?” Diana gasped out, not understanding what it had to do with her blood and Murphy. 

“Why yes, dear. My finest creation. You can thank your sister for that. It’s quite hilarious that she strengthened the humans while you did so for us.” 

The detective took a few seconds to think the words over before letting her fury take over. She gripped the woman by her ankles and pulled, sending her sprawling onto the table. The man kicked Diana in retaliation, pushing the glass deeper into her gut, while Rathmore hissed in fury. 

“You can play around for a bit, but kill the human and anyone that comes for her.”

Diana didn’t get the time to recover nor did she hear the kitsune leave before she was hauled up and sucker punched in the gut yet again. In the complete darkness, she fought with whatever her hands came across, yet was easily overwhelmed by the demon, who seemed to take great pleasure in punching and kicking her like a bag of potatoes. Her ribs were broken and numerous wounds marred her body, although, it was far less damage that the thing could do. In a desperate attempt, Diana ripped a particularly big  piece of glass out of her thigh, and, once the demon had her in the air, stabbed it into something squishy. 

The howl of pain encouraged her and she pulled it out and drove it again, deeper, turning it inside what felt like an eye-socket, not minding the wound on her palms.

The thing let out another wail and dropped to the ground, taking her down with it. Its sheer size pinned her down, breaking a few more ribs and pushing the remnants of air out of her lungs. Gasping in pain she fell into the comfortable unconsciousness.

 

***

 

The people at the club barely paid her any attention when she limped out, covered in blood and pieces of an eyeball. Adam met her halfway, Penny in his grasp, her fearful eyes widening at the sight of the detective. There was little time and mood for conversation. The girl removed the cuffs as ordered and was taken to one of the Agency’s vehicles, while Farah helped Diana get to her own car. 

The ride back was a grim one, with no one willing to speak about what had transpired. 

The mission, thankfully, wasn’t a complete bust. The doctor herself was not apprehended, but a few of her sidekicks were. It also decreased the doctor’s influence in the Underground. Moreover, the captured demons proved to be useful when one of them supplied the location of multiple labs across the world, some with live specimens held in captivity for further experiments with unrecognizable pathogens. When the Agency assessed the human and supernatural bodies found in the labs, they realized that Rathmore had long since achieved what Murphy had, although her methods had been different and no longer relied on a living human to be the source of the Scourge. It begged the question as to why had the doctor bothered to show up to capture the detective at all, but no proper explanation presented itself. 

Luke managed to get away with the rest of the unregistered supernaturals that had been present at the club (although everyone suspected that Morgan might have helped him hide his tracks from the Agency). It disheartened Diana that he was off the grid once more, like some sort of criminal, although she respected his need to evade the Agency for as long as possible. She also had a sinking suspicion that he went after Rathmore. 

All in all, things could have easily gone better, but they could have gone worse as well. 

 

***

 

Sighing the detective tapped on her keyboard, annoyed by the incompetent Officer Miller, who had accidently discharged a firearm and given her even more paperwork. Things were significantly different now that she had neither Murphy, nor Rathmore to track down (the latter had gone into hiding, aware that the Agency was now after her). She was back to scolding the local teenagers for shoplifting, breaking windows and ‘satanic’ music near kindergarten, refereeing the arguments between loud neighbors, and other miniscule crimes.  

It was a welcome break. 

At 8 AM sharp, the doors to the office opened and the detective groaned when she saw him approach, eyes flashing with fury. It had been almost a week of avoiding the team, hoping to let them (HIM) cool off, before explaining the reasoning behind her impromptu mission to capture Rathmore. Each had a different reason for being upset. Farah was disappointed that Diana hadn’t taken her with, Morgan was mad about being duped (although, proud that the detective had killed her first sup), Nate worried about her wounds, while Adam… Adam was enraged. It showed in his every step. The fact that the detective had spent the past 24 hours catching up on paperwork and dealing with the Mayor, was not going to help her case.

Adam, meanwhile, had a whole monologue prepared, two days of simmering fury and worry to dwell on. He approached the table, consciously decreasing the volume of his voice. 

“Detective.” As it always went with Diana, the moment he looked straight into her eyes, his heart startled into skipping a beat. 

Diana rolled her eyes at the chilly tone. “Adam.”

“What were you thinking this time?” He growled, hand rubbing at his face. “First you defy any and every order you’re given. Then you use the Scourge and _now_ it’s this. You could have been killed, if not worse.” His frustration was palpable. 

“But I wasn’t,” The detective frowned. “Despite all your ‘you are human and weak’ speeches, I held my ground.”

“The doctor...”

With a shrug and a raised eyebrow, she stopped him mid sentence. “She escaped, yes. But we liberated multiple of her facilities, arrested more than a dozen of mercs and scientists working for her and scared her into hiding.” 

“Had you spoken to Agent Hart, the apprehension of the doctor would have been successful.” 

A scoff. “No it wouldn’t have been. Rebecca would have never gotten the green light to do this.”

“You don’t know that.” Although he was fairly sure that Diana was right this time. “And even without the Agency’s support, you could have asked… us.” ‘ _Me’_ he swallowed.

Her scent permeated the office, and after a rather long time with little to no exposure to it, Adam felt it ignite a hunger twice as potent as before. While he paused to get his bearings back, Diana stood up. 

“And then what? You’d run to Rebecca, crying that the evil detective was not listening to you?”

They stared each other down, the tension that had been building for so long reaching its peak. 

“There’s very little I wouldn’t do for you, detective,” Adam spoke in a throaty voice.

Moving around the table (previously broken by the very man that was now angry towards her), she opened her mouth to deny it, but he seized her face in his hands instead and pulled her forward.

Diana didn’t resist.

She kissed him hungrily, nails softly digging into his shoulders, while Adam tried to grapple for sanity. Then her teeth grazed his lips and whatever remaining control he had was washed away by the relief that Diana was alive, safe, and in his arms. For all his rationality and coldness, she ripped his self control at the seams. 

He kissed with the fervor of a famished man. She opened to him and gasped, her body pressing closer, as if excited by the way his fangs brushed against her tongue. She was pliant and eager, both to savor and to be savored. Adam could feel her tremble under his grip and he fought to pull back, making enough progress to leave her lips and press sensual kisses to the milky skin of her neck. Diana groaned in appreciation, craning her neck, the unintended invitation clear as day. 

This seemed to sober him up, the thirst blurring his mind as he took a step back, teeth gritted in agitation. 

“Detective, this is...”

His reluctance waned at the sight of her flushed cheeks. If she had been in control herself, she might have respected his desire to stop the kiss. It wasn’t like her to do something quite as impulsive and irresponsible, yet tugging at his hair, barely long enough to grasp, she brought his lips back to her pulse point and sighed. She could sense the hitch in his breath, the tension. Restraint had never been quite as far from his mind as it was now. 

“I trust you, far more than I probably should,” She nipped at his own skin, coaxing, Adam shuddered. 

Fingers curling at her waist, one brushing tenderly against the underside of her breast, he revelled in the feel of her arching into him. Pressing her against the table, Adam grasped the back of her thigh and took her lower lip between his teeth. 

The soft moan was far more encouraging than it should have been.

And then… the door opened.

“Adam! Did you...Oh...”

Adam couldn’t say what was more striking - his sense of agitation at being interrupted, or the mortification that Farah stood behind them. 

 

***

 

“Good morning, detective,” Nate greeted from behind her, nearly making Diana drop the papers she was reading while making coffee. 

Quickly turning around she assessed his expression, only to find nothing but curiosity and warmth. Deducting (with her supreme detective skills) that he hadn’t heard about what had happened yesterday, she greeted him in return and motioned to the office. Only then did she notice Farah standing behind the man with an evil grin on her face.

“So, detective, feeling quite thirsty, aren’t we?”

Not gracing the vampire with an answer, Diana finished making her coffee, and picked up the papers. Grinning at this, Farah placed her hands in the back pockets of her jeans and bounced before announcing that she hadn’t bothered Tina for a while. She slipped further into the station, saluting Douglas and a few other officers on her way there.

Nate and Diana were left alone.

“Is everything… okay? You seem tense, Diana.” Nate looked at her worriedly, sending a wave of guilt though the woman. 

She knew that he held some sort of affection for her. Moreover, he was open, kind and gentle. Were she to ever try for a relationship with someone again, he would be the perfect choice. However, no matter how much she rationalized, it didn’t diminish the pull she felt to the team leader, nor did it produce romantic interest in Nate.

 _‘This is why I avoid such nonsense.’_ She thought to herself. _‘It always ends up with someone getting hurt.’_

“Yes, I guess I’m just apprehensive about the news.”

“Ah,” Nodding the man looked around the office, a worried frown on his face. “The Jinn shouldn’t be a problem. Morgan had already tracked them down. ”

“I hope you’ll take me with you.” She pinned the man with a pointed look. Nate had the decency to look sheepish. 

“You most likely won’t be involved in the direct confrontation,,” A gentle smile. “Adam, however, arranged for you to drive our vehicle.” 

Smiling a little at that, the detective took a sip of her beverage. 

“He’s really warming up to you, you know,” Nate just had to add, sending hot coffee into her lungs. 

“Good to know.” Was all she said once she finished coughing. ‘ _That’s one way to put it.’_

 

***

 

Adam stood in front of the detective’s door, teeth grinding in frustration both with himself and the Agency. He had been standing there for approximately half an hour, simply because he hadn’t knocked, uncertain on how to address the issue. Their job with the Jinn had gone smoothly but beyond tactics, they hadn’t had a chance to talk. And in the days that followed, they barely saw each other. However, he knew that this had to happen. Eventually, he finished rehearsing all his lines, cementing the frown, and knocked on the wood.

There was a distinctive click of the gun’s safety, before she approached the peephole. It brought a smile against his will. He was so concentrated on schooling his features back into a frown that when Diana finally opened the door, it caught him by surprise. Clad in jeans and a simple blue t-shirt she was exactly as he remembered her and it brought the heavy realization that he had missed her. 

“Good evening, detective. May I come in?” The frown was gone, but he didn’t care. It was good to see her.

“Well, well, agent. What brings you to my humble abode?” Diana locked the door behind them, painfully aware that they were alone. In her apartment. Without Farah and her incredible ability to interrupt anything of importance. 

“I was meaning to talk about… what happened back at the office...” Adam cleared his throat, not meeting her eyes, equally aware of their situation. 

He had considered approaching her back at the station or in a public setting, but this was not the sort of conversation they could have among strangers. They watched each other for a while, uncertain on how to proceed. 

“I see...” She placed the gun back into the drawer and walked to the kitchen, hoping that having something in her hands would stop them from aching. “Why don’t you start?” She had a fleeting thought that Farah would revel in the awkwardness between them.

“I meant to apologise for behaving inappropriately. I hope that we can forget this, and maintain a good working relationship in the future.”

It felt like he had memorised a script, which inadvertently had her laughing. 

“You are not the only one to blame, Adam.” She admitted, a reluctant smile on her face.  “Has Farah… mentioned this to the others?”

Scowling at the mention of the young vampire, Adam sighed. “Thankfully not.” 

“Well then...” Diana shrugged, her face carefully blank. “We’ll pretend that this has never happened.” Knife to the heart.

“Agreed. ” Twist.

“It’s for the best,” She assured herself as well as Adam. 

A part of him wanted to ignore his rational side and give into the baser instincts. His nights had been filled with fantasies of her peeled out of both clothing and self-control, eager and hungry as she had been in the office. Yet even if all the other reasons could magically disappear, he could never do something like this to Nate. Nate was the best man and friend Adam had ever known and he was exactly what the detective needed. They deserved happiness. And he was neither selfish nor conceited enough to hinder it. 

Therefore, after a few other awkward exchanges, he walked out the door and pretended that he was fine.

Diana watched him with a grim determination before her cellphone rang, Tina on the other side of the line frantic about Mrs. Poppy setting her neighbour’s fence on fire. 

One thing for sure, things were never simple in Wayhaven. 

 

***

 

“You sure it will work as promised?” 

“Have I ever delivered a faulty product?” Rathmore scowled. “It will work. If you’re so concerned, do a test run. I can even suggest a location.”

“Where?”

“Wayhaven.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that’s all. Let’s hope that Wayhaven Book2 isn’t too far away, for I certainly do miss UB. Thank you for sticking with the fanfic till the end. ^_^


End file.
